Investigating the relation of Household Food Security Status and some Socio-economic factors with children Intelligence Quotient in 2016 - Mashhad-Iran

Food insecurity is one of the categories that has a serious impact on nutritional status. Intelligence quotient is an indicator of one's efficacy. Yet, limited studies have been conducted about food security status and socioeconomic factors associated with children's Intelligence quotient (IQ). The current study aimed to investigate the relationship of household food security status and some socioeconomic factors with children Intelligence quotient (IQ) in Mashhad.
In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 18-item USDA food security questionnaire, 200 children in the food secure group and 200 children in the food insecure group were included. The members of each group were matched 1 to 1 in terms of age and gender..Children’s age group was 4-6 years old, 18-item Food Security (USDA) and General information Questionnaires were completed through interview with mothers. The relationship between qualitative and quantitative variables with Intelligence quotient (IQ) was determined by Chi-square, T-independent and one-way ANOVA.
The mean scores of verbal, performance and total IQs in food insecure group without hunger were respectively 98.75±13.24, 102.94±12.96 and 100.84±11.04, which were lower than mean of children's IQ in the food secure group (p Food security is effective on Intelligence quotient (IQ) through its impact on nutrition and as a stress factor that affects the entire family.