Economic Geography Research

Economic Geography Research

Analysis and exploration of food security and physical health level in rural areas (case study: fariman rural district, Khorasan Razavi province)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
hamdollah ssojasi gheidari 1
davood mahdavi 2
Masoumeh salimi 3
1 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Master of Science in Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
10.30470/jegr.2025.2051059.1265
Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating and analyzing the status of food security and its relationship with the physical health of villagers. To achieve the research goal, descriptive-analytical methodology was used through documentary and survey study methods. The statistical population of the study consisted of 143 rural in Fariman County. To collect data, a stratified random sampling method was used with a researcher-made questionnaire based on indicators extracted from theoretical literature. The reliability of the measurement tool was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.65). The results and findings of this study indicate that the status of sample rural households in terms of food security and physical health variables (except for the access to diverse foods index and the exercise and physical activity index) is lower than the desired theoretical average level. Also, based on the results of the Friedman test, from the perspective of the samples, the impact of the indicators on food security and physical health of individuals is different. The results of the correlation test also showed that there is a direct relationship between food security and physical health. The results of the analysis of variance indicate differences between groups in indicators such as food stability, access to diverse foods, and physical health. Also, using the VIKOR model, a ranking was made between the villages studied in terms of enjoying food security, with the lowest score corresponding to the village of Faizabad and the highest score corresponding to the village of Aqar-e-Alia.
Keywords
Food security
health
rural community
Vikor model
Fariman county
Adeniyi, D. A. & Dinbabo, M. F. (2019). Factors Influencing Household Food Security Among Irrigation Smallholders in North West Nigeria. Journal of Reviews on Global Econo.  pp. 291–304.
Cauchia, J. P., Bambrick, H., Correa-Velez, I., Moncada, S. (2021). White flour, white sugar, white rice, white salt’: Barriers to achieving food and nutrition security in Kiribati," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
FAO. (2008). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2008: building climate resilience for food security and nutrition. Food & Agriculture Org.
FAO. (2018). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2018: building climate resilience for food security and nutrition. Food & Agriculture Org.
FAO. (2019). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2019: building climate resilience for food security and nutrition. Food & Agriculture Org.
Greenberg J. (2010). Comprehensive Stress Management [Paperback]. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social.
Helander, H. (2017). Geographic Disparities in Future Global Food Security Exploring the Impacts of Population Development and Climate Change, Uppsala Universiteit.
Howe-Burris, M., Giroux, S., Waldman, K., DeBruicker Valliant, J., Babb, A., Czebotar, K., ... & Knudsen, D. C. (2022). The interactions of food security, health, and loneliness among rural older adults before and after the onset of COVID-19. Nutrients, 14(23), 5076.‏
Huston, T., (2018). Preparing for 9 billion: How Do we Feed the Planet in 2050? The guardian labs.
Kruzslicika, M. (2015). Analytical instruments for measuring food security at macroeconomic level. LUCRĂRI ŞTIINŢIFICE, SERIA I, VOL.XVII (1), 63-57. Romania.
Leung CW., & Wolfson JA. (2021). Food Insecurity Among Older Adults: 10-Year National Trends and Associations with Diet Quality. J Am Geriatr Soc. 69(4):964-71.
Leunufna S., & Evans M. (2014). Ensuring food security in the small islands of Maluku: A community genebank approach, Journal of Marine and Island Cultures, 3, 125–133.
Mansour, R. (2014). Food security among students at University of Wollongong. Master Thesis. University of Wollongong.
Matheson DM, Varady J, Varady A, Killen JD. (2006). Household food security and nutritional status of Hispanic children in the fifth grade. Am J Clin Nutr; 76: 210-17.
Nora, Brickhouse Arriola. (2015). Food Insecurity and Hunger Experiences and their Impact on Food Pantry Clients in the Tampa Bay. Master Thesis. University of South Florida.
Pollesch, N. L., Dale, V. H. (2016), normalization in sustainability assessment: methods and implications, ecological economics, 130, 195-208.
Sano, Y., Richards, L.N. (2011). Physical Health, Food Security, and Economic Well-Being: The Rural Perspective. In: Bauer, J., Dolan, E. (eds) Rural Families and Work. International Series on Consumer Science. Springer, New York, NY.
Sinyolo,S., Mudhara, M. & Wale, E (2014). Water security and rural household food security. food security, 6(4): 483-499.
United Nations (UN), 2017. World Population Projected to Reach 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100. United nations (UN) department of economic and social affairs, New York-US.
Van Meijl, H., Shutes, L., Valin, H. , Stehfest, E., van Dijk, M. , Kuiper, M., Tabeau, A., van Zeist, W.-J., Hasegawa, T., & Havlik, P.  (2020). Modelling alternative futures of global food security: Insights from FOODSECURE. Global Food Security 25 e100358.
Economic Geography Research
Volume 6, Issue 20
Summer 1404
Summer 2025
Pages 24-43

  • Receive Date 18 January 2025
  • Revise Date 08 February 2025
  • Accept Date 18 February 2025