IRAN - Food and Agriculture Organization

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

FAO - NUTRITION COUNTRY PROFILES

IRANIRAN

Nutrition Country Profiles – IRAN January 23, 2002 FAO,Rome

Nutrition Country Profiles – IRAN January 23, 2002 1

Note for the reader

The objective of the Nutrition Country Profiles (NCP) is toprovide concise analytical summaries describing the food andnutrition situation in individual countries with background statistics onfood-related factors. The profiles present consistent and comparablestatistics in a standard format. This pre-defined format combines aset of graphics, tables and maps each supported by a shortexplanatory text. Information regarding the agricultural production,demography and socio-economic level of the country are alsopresented.

In general, data presented in the NCP are derived from nationalsources as well as from international databases (FAO, WHO...).

Technical notes giving detailed information on the definitionand use of the indicators provided in the profile can be obtained fromESNA upon request. An information note describing the objectives ofthe NCP is also available.

Useful suggestions or observations to improve the quality ofthis product are welcome.

The data used to prepare the maps are available in Excel uponrequest at:

E-mail: [email protected]

Nutrition Country Profile of Iran prepared by:Dr. A Djazayery in collaboration with Rosanne Marchesich (ESNA-FAO)

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers .

FAO, 2001So urce/ Location Sample Percent age of malnutrition

Yearof sur vey

SizeNu mb er

Sex AgeYe ars

Underweight S tunting Wasti ng Overwei ght% Weight/A ge % Height /Age % Weight/Height % Weight /Height< -3SD < -2SD < -3 SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD > +2SD

MOHME, UNICEF. 2 00 0 National 1998 Random subsample 2536 M/F 0-4.99 1.5 10.9 3.8 15.4 0.9 4.9 4.3

Ardebil 878 " " 0.7 6.4 5.0 20.5 0.6 2.5 9.9Boushehr 968 " " 1.4 8.8 2.1 11.3 0.9 6.4 2.1

Chaharmahal & Bakht iari 808 " " 2.0 16.8 3.7 15.5 0.9 6.6 0.3

East Azerbaijan 939 " " 0.9 6.5 3,7 15.3 0.5 3.3 6.7

Esfahan 676 " " 1.2 10.6 1,9 10.8 1.2 7.4 4.1F ars 964 " " 1.4 11.3 4.6 16.7 0.6 5.9 5.6

G hazvin 980 " " 0.4 8.2 2.1 10.8 0.2 3.6 3.5

Ghom 564 " " 0.9 5.1 0.7 9.9 0.7 3.6 4.6

G olestan 831 " " 0.2 4.0 2.3 13.8 0.0 1.1 4.3G uilan 989 " " 1.0 6.8 1.1 6.8 0.5 2.5 3.4

Hamedan 837 " " 1.4 11.4 3.5 18.3 0.8 4.7 3.3

Hormozgan 788 " " 4.4 23.8 6.6 21.6 1.7 11.3 2.4Il am 951 " " 1.9 11.7 3.0 14.6 0.6 4.7 1.6

Kerman 1001 " " 2.3 18.0 6.2 21.7 1.1 7.9 3.7

Khermanshah 965 " " 0.9 9.6 3.2 14.0 0.2 3.7 2.0

Khorassan 974 " " 1.4 13.7 5.3 20.0 0.3 4.4 2.2Khuzestan 875 " " 1.5 11.4 3.9 14.6 1.3 6.0 3.5

Kohguil uy eh & Bouyerahmad 729 " " 2.4 17.6 8.5 26.3 1.0 5.8 2.5

Kordestan 960 " " 1.2 11.5 5.1 21.1 0.3 3.4 2.0

Lorestan 977 " " 1.6 10.1 3.7 15.4 0.9 4.4 2.3Markazi 868 " " 1.3 3.4 2.0 9.7 0.7 3.7 8.4

Mazandaran 869 " " 1.1 6.5 1.2 7.5 0.7 5.3 4.6

Semnan 724 " " 0.8 9.1 1.8 11.9 0.8 4.6 3.5

Sistan & Bal uchestan 894 " " 5.2 25.8 16.1 38.1 2.0 9.5 4.9Tehran 791 " " 0.8 7.2 1.7 7.5 1.2 6.0 5.6

W est Azerbaij an 965 " " 1.7 8.6 3.7 16.3 0.9 4.2 5.2

Yazd 669 " " 1.8 12.9 2.5 10.3 1.5 8.0 1.5

Zanjan 804 " " 1.7 12.4 5.3 22.4 1.2 4.0 4.3

mailto:[email protected]


Table of contents

SUMMARY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

TABLE 1: GENERAL STATISTICS OF IRAN -------------------------------------------------- 4

I. OVERVIEW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

1. Geography ......................................................................................................... 52. Population .......................................................................................................... 53. Level of development: poverty, education and health ........................................ 54. Agricultural production, land use and food security............................................ 65. Economy ............................................................................................................ 7

II. THE FOOD AND NUTRITION SITUATION --------------------------------------------------- 8

1. Trends in energy requirements and energy supplies ......................................... 82. Trends in food supplies ...................................................................................... 93. Food consumption............................................................................................ 114. Anthropometric data......................................................................................... 165. Micronutrient deficiencies................................................................................. 22

REFERENCES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

MAPS are presented after the <REFERENCES>

- General map of Iran

-Map 1: Population density of Iranian provinces in 1996.

-Map 2: Moderate and severe wasting in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

-Map 3: Moderate and severe stunting in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

-Map 4: Moderate and severe underweight in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

Graphs, tables and maps can be visualised by clicking on the words in bold and underline,only in the “Full profile” pdf file.


SUMMARY

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a predominantly agricultural country. As a result of effectivepopulation policies and programmes and socio-economic and cultural changes during the last fewdecades, the population growth rate has had a downward trend; the rate is now 1.4% and thepopulation about 66 million. The Human Development Index, which was 0.642 in 1988, is presently0.715 (Table 1).

According to a 1995 survey, the prevalences of moderate+severe underweight, stunting, andwasting in under-five year children were 15.7%, 18.9%, and 6.6%, respectively, which decreased to10.9%, 15.9%, and 4.9% by 1997, when the prevalence of overweight was 4.3%. Provincial and urban-rural variations are considerable (Table 4a). Generally, malnutrition is more prevalent in villages; it ismost prevalent in the south and south-east and least prevalent in the north (Map 2, Map 3 & Map 4).The peak is in the second year of life, and the average growth rate slows down after 6 months of agein many cases, probably due to late introduction of non-milk foods. Contributing factors to malnutritionare a low socio-economic status, a low health and nutritional awareness, inadequate access to food,and insufficient access to heath services; the relative weights of these factors vary considerably indifferent parts of the country.

No national studies have been conducted on the nutritional status of adolescents or adults.Based on studies in Tehran and a few other large cities, the body mass index (BMI) is around 16-18and 20-22 in 11-12 and 20-22 year olds, respectively. The BMI increases with age, indicating that therate of linear growth is lower than that of weight increase. Some of the girls tend to undereat for fear ofobesity; over 13% of Tehrani girls are obese. As regards adults, the limited available data indicate thatoverweight-and to a smaller extent obesity-are common in the country, the prevalence varying in theprovinces; obesity is more widespread among women.

Cereals are the most widely consumed food item, followed by fruits, vegetables, and dairyproducts. Provincial variations are wide. The Province of Tehran, where the percentages of dietaryenergy from fat and animal products are the highest, has the lowest cereal , and the highest fat, intake.The share of foods in energy intake varies considerably: meats+eggs provide 0.2% in Sistan-va-Baluchestan and 11.0% in the Province of Tehran; the share of dairy products in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari (7.0%) is five times that in Bushehr (Table 3a, 3b and 3c).

At the national level, the average energy and protein intakes are higher than the respectiveRDAs. The distribution is, however, such that 20% have a relatively low intake, 40% overeat and are atrisk of, or suffering from, chronic nutritional diseases, the remaining 20% having a nutritionallydesirable intake. The average proportions of dietary energy from protein (11%), fat (22%), andcarbohydrate (67%) are desirable from a nutritional point of view (Figure 1).

About 85% of infants are exclusively breastfed for 6 months; 70% continue up to one year.Complementary feeding starts shortly after the age of 5-6 months.

Based on findings of nationwide surveys, goitre is endemic to different extents in variousprovinces, the total goitre rate being 55% (1996), although the average urinary iodine level (>10mcg/dl)indicates a sufficient intake and 97% of households apparently consume iodised salt. Iron deficiencyand anaemia are the other major micronutrient problem. Anaemia (all degrees) afflicts 1/3 of child-bearing age women and children. The prevalence seems to be the same in urban and rural areas, butgender differences exist at the age of 15 years, the prevalence being higher in females. On the whole,anaemia prevalence is low (<5%) in the central provinces, high in five provinces in various regions, andmedium (5-20%) in the remaining provinces. Factors contributing to anaemia include parasitic andinfectious diseseas, poor weaning practices, gastrointestinal bleeding, and short birth intervals; a lowdietary iron bio-availability is another important factor, as most iron sources are of a plant origin andsurveys show an apparently sufficient intake. No national data are available as regards vitamin Adeficiency (VAD); judging from small-scale, local surveys in different parts of the country, severe VADdoes not seem to be a public health problem (Table 5).

Over 80% of the population is covered by an effective primary heath care system. Age-specificmortality rates have declined over the last decades. Infant, under-5 year, and maternal mortality ratesare now 29/1000, 33/1000, and 37/100000, respectively.

Last updated: 26/10/00 Indicator (§) Year Unit Indicator (§) Year Unit

A. Land in use for agriculture G. Average Food Supply1. Agricultural land 1995 ha per person 1.0102. Arable and permanent crop land 1995 ha per person 0.305 1. Dietary Energy Supply (DES) 1996-98 Kcal/caput/day 2827

B. Livestock1. Cattle 1996-98 thousands 86402. Sheep & goats 1996-98 thousands 781353. Pigs 1996-98 thousands 04. Chickens 1996-98 millions 214

C. Population1. Total population 1998 thousands 657582. 0-5 years 1998 % of total pop. 13.73. 6-17 years 1998 % of total pop. 32.64. 18-59 years 1998 % of total pop. 47.65. >= 60 years 1998 % of total pop. 6.26. Rural population 1998 % of total pop. 39.47. Annual population growth rate, Total 1995-2000 % of total pop. 1.78. Annual population growth rate, Rural 1995-2000 % of rural pop. 0.39. Projected total population in 2025 2030 thousands 99186

10. Agricultural population 1995 % of total pop. 29.911. Population density 1995 pop. per sq Km 38.2

D. Level of Development1. GNP per capita, Atlas Method 1997 current US$ 1,7802. Human Development Index rating (new) 1997 min[0] - max[1] 0.7153. Incidence of poverty, Total ... % of population …4. Incidence of poverty, Rural or Urban ... % of population … % Energy from:5. Life expectancy at birth (both sexes) 1998 years 69.3 2. Protein 1996-98 % of total energy 10.86. Under-five mortality rate 1998 per 1,000 live births 33 3. Fat 1996-98 % of total energy 19.9

E. Food Trade 4. Proteins 1996-98 g/caput/day 751. Food Imports (US $) 1996-98 % of total imports 19.5 5. Vegetable products 1996-98 % of total proteins 75.52. Food Exports (US $) 1996-98 % of total exports 4.1 6. Animal products 1996-98 % of total proteins 24.53. Cereal Food Aid (100 MT) 1996-98 % of cereals imports 0.2

H. Food Inadequacy

F. Indices of Food Production 1. Total population "undernourished" 1995-97 millions 3.7

1. Food Production Index 1996-98 1989-91=100 146.6 2. % population "undernourished" 1995-97 % of total pop. 6.02. Food Production Index Per Capita 1996-98 1989-91=100 127.8

TABLE 1: GENERAL STATISTICS OF IRAN

... no data available § see References for data sources used See Technical Notes for definitions used.

Percentage of DES by major food groups

53%

3%

10%

4%

11%

9%

4%0%

2%4%

Cereals (excl. beer)Starchy rootsSweetenersPulses, nuts, oilcropsFruits & VegetablesVegetable oilsAnimal FatsMeat & offalsFish & seafoodMilk & EggsOther

Note: Value not indicated if below 1%


IRANI. OVERVIEW

1. Geography

The Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R. Iran), with a surface area of 1,648,000 sq. Km, issituated in the Middle East (General Map); administratively it is divided into 27 provinces.The country is ecologically, climatologically, socio-economically and culturally quite diverse.Temperatures range from –21 C in the west to +50 C in the south-west (SCI, 2000). Theaverage annual rainfall is 250 mm, ranging from 50mm in the south-east to about 1243mm inthe Caspian littoral; only in 1/3 of the land is the rainfall above the national average.

Almost ¼ of the land is cultivable and ½ is covered by long, massive mountain rangessurrounding the vast central plateau, a large part of which is barren desert; altogether ¼ of theland is covered by desert. The land of I. R. Iran is one of ecological extremes: while in someof the central and south-eastern areas sand dunes are driven by high winds constantly, thereare marshy coastal regions outside the mountain ranges-typically along the Caspian Sea in thenorth.

2. PopulationThe total population of I. R. Iran (Table 1) is 65,758,000 (UN, 1998), the proportion

below 18 years being 46.3%. Effective national policies and programmes and socio-economicfactors have resulted in drastic reductions in the population growth rate. The annual rate,which was 2.5% in the period 1986-91), is now 1.4% (MOHME Reports). The gender ratio(male/female) is 103, the population density 39.9 persons/sq. Km, and the agriculturalpopulation 29.9% (UN, 1998). The population density varies between 4.9 in Semnan and 310in Tehran (Map 1). Urbanization increased from 57% in 1990 (UNICEF,1992) to 60.6% in1998 (UN, 1998); the average urbanization rate (2.6%;UNICEF, 2000) has been higher thanthe total population rate (1.4%). Life expectancy has been on the increase, too, havingincreased from 66 in 1990 (UNICEF, 1992) to 69. 1n 1998 (UNICEF, 2000); the male andfemale expectancies are 68.5 and 70.0 (UNDP, 1999), respectively.

On the basis of the under-5 mortality rate (U5MR=33), I. R. Iran ranks 100 in theworld (UNICEF, 2000); the lowest rank is 189. The official language is Persian ( Farsi).

3. Level of development: poverty, education and healthThe Human Development Index (HDI) increased from 0.642 in 1988 to 0.715 in 1997

(UNDP, 1999); the country ranks 95 in the world (the lowest is 174). About 1.3% of thechildren less than 15 years of age are engaged in some kind of labour (in villages=2.4%, intowns=0.5%), and the head of 5.5% of the households is a woman.

In the UNDP ranking, the Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) rank is 34 (value=20.4%), thelowest in the world being 92 (UNDP, 1999). The adult literacy rate has been increasing too-from 54% in 1990 (UNICEF, 1992) to 73.3% in 1997 (UNDP, 1999). The present male andfemale rates are 79% and 63%, respectively. School enrolments are good, they being over


95% for 6-17 year-old children and adolescents. There is no appreciable gender difference, butin the villages the adolescent rate is 73% that in towns.

Over 80% of the population is covered by the primary health care system, operating inthe form of health networks; about 64% have access to sanitation and 95% to safe water(UNICEF, 2000). Some eighty-six percent of deliveries are performed by trained birthattendants, and over half of the 15-49 year-old married women are under coverage of a healthinsurance scheme (32.9% in towns and 62.0% in villages (MOHME/UNICEF, 1998). Theratio of physicians, dental surgeons, and midwives/population is 1/1500, 1/4500, and 1/3000,respectively (MOHME, unpublished reports).

The prevalence of parasitic diseases varies depending on the region, the most commonbeing intestinal parasitic diseases. As regards vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, theprevalence has declined considerably due to effective and extensive immunizationprogrammes. However, the incidences of non-communicable chronic nutritional diseases(diabetes mellitus, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases) are increasing (Djazayery andPajooyan, 2000); I. R. Iran is passing through an epidemiological, health, and food andnutrition transition (Table 3).

The age-specific mortality rates have declined during the last decade: the infant, under-5, and maternal mortality rates decreased from 46, 59, and 120 in 1990 (UNICEF, 1992) to 29,33, and 37 in 1998 (UNICEF, 2000), respectively; the incidence of low birthweight (LBW)has not changed, it having been about 9%.

4. Agricultural production, land use and food securityIran is a predominantly agricultural country. Of the 51 million hectares of arable land,

about 19 are under cultivation, 1/3 of which is irrigated. Small-plot farming is one reason forlow productivity (the farm size owned by 85% of the farmers is less than 10 hectares);insufficient water resources is another. At most 60% of wheat – the most widely consumedcereal – is produced on irrigated land, but even 1/3 of that receives inadequate water. Theproduction of wheat, as well as of rice, the other major cereal, fluctuates considerably fromyear to year; a significant proportion of the domestic consumption of both is imported everyyear.

The share of agriculture in GDP is 22.1% (SCI, 2000). Wheat, rice, barley, sugarcane,and cotton are the principal crops produced in the country. There is also extensive fruit andvegetable production, for example citrus fruit in the Caspian littoral in the north and dates andvegetables in the south. The most important fruit exported extensively is pistachios, grownpredominantly in the south-central Province of Kerman.

The total number of holdings and heads of livestock (cows, calves, sheep, andbuffaloes) are 4,206,300 and 61,689,000, respectively (SCI, 2000 ). The annual production ofred meat, poultry, milk, and eggs increased from 595,000, 420,000, 4,035,000, and 340,000tons in 1991 to 747,000, 696,000, 5,105,000, and 498,000 tons in 1998, respectively (SCI,2000). The good fishing potential has not been fully exploited so far; the total production andcatch was only 400,000 tons in 1998 (SCI, 2000).

On the whole, food production/capita index has increased from 127.8 in 1989-91 to136 (UNDP, 1999).


5. EconomyThe GNP/capita is US$ 1780.00, its annual growth rate during the periods 1965-80

and 1990-97 having been 2.9% and 1.9%, respectively (UNICEF, 2000). The share ofpetroleum in GDP is 6.5%, while that contributed by industry and agriculture is 22.1% and17.5%, respectively (SCI, 2000 ); the share of agriculture was 18.0% in 1990-91. Despitepolicies adopted by the government to reduce dependence of the national economy onpetroleum, the country continues to depend on it for the major part of its foreign exchangeearnings.

The government’s major economic policies, in addition to reducing dependence onpetroleum, include privatisation of industries and services, achieving self-sufficiency in theproduction of major food items, and promoting domestic and foreign investment. Presentlythe major exports are petroleum, pistachios, carpets, caviar, fruits, and mineral products. Themajor imports include cereals (wheat and rice), meat, animal and vegetable oils, sugar, animalfeed, iron and steel, electrical machinery, and organic chemicals. Food imports constitute19.5% of the total imports (Table 1). The annual inflation rate, having been 14% during theperiod 1980-1990 (UNICEF, 1992), increased to 33% in 1990-97 (UNICEF, 2000).


II. THE FOOD AND NUTRITION SITUATION

1. Trends in energy requirements and energy supplies

The population in 1997 was nearly 2.6 times that in 1965 (Table 2).The averageannual growth rate over the 32-year period, however, has had a downward trend: while it was3.1% during the period 1966-76, it declined to 2.6 in the period 1986-91 (calculated from datapresented in MOHME, 1994 ), further decreasing to 1.4% in the second half of the last decadeof the twentieth century (see Section 2. Population). The percentage of urban population, onthe other hand, which was 38.0% in 1965, increased to 59.5% in 1997 and is projected toreach 74.6% by 2030.

As regards energy supplies, although the per caput daily energy supplies increasedappreciably between 1965 and 1997(4.0%, calculated on the basis of Table 2), the average percaput energy requirement had an increase of nearly 0.17% (from 2067 to 2108 kcal/day). Themain reasons for this have been increases in the total population and in the proportion of theunder-15 year-old population. The per caput energy requirement is projected to furtherincrease by about 0.29% by 2030 (from 2108 to 2181 kcals/day).Table 1 shows that, according to FAO estimation, 6% of the population in undernourished; itwas 9% in 1979-81. FAO has also estimated that the average per caput food deficit of theundernourished is 190 kcal/day (FAO, 2000).

Table 2: Total population, urbanisation, energy requirements and dietary energysupplies (DES) per person and per day in 1965, 1997 and 2030

Year 1965 1997 2030

Total population (thousands) 24663 63469 99186

Percentage urban (%) 38.0 59.5 74.6

Per caput energy requirements (kcal/day) 2067 2108 2181

Per caput DES (kcal/day) * 1907 2827 __* Three-year average calculated for 1964-66 and 1996-98 (Source: FAOSTAT)

According to Figure 1, the average shares of the three energy-producing nutrients-protein, carbohydrate, and fat-in the energy supply have remained virtually constant since1979-81; the respective shares are about 10.6%, 69.0%, and 20.0%-acceptable from anutritional point of view. The fact that the proportion of energy derived from protein has beenabout 10-11% is quite typical of most communities, regardless of their socio-economic status.


Figure 1: Share of protein, fat and carbohydrate in Dietary Energy Supply Trends from 1964-66 to

16.9 17.817.8 20.1 20.9 19.8 19.9

10.6 10.8 10.6 10.7 10.5 10.6 10.8

69.369.668.569.271.671.472.4

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1964-66 1969-71 1974-76 1979-81 1984-86 1989-91 1996-98

DES

Kca

l/cap

ut/d

ay

Fat Protein Carbohydrates Source: FAOSTATIran

1996-98

Figure 2: Supplies of major food groups (in Kg/caput/year)Trends from 1964-66 to

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

275

300

325

1964-66 1969-71 1974-76 1979-81 1984-86 1989-91 1996-98

Kg/c

aput

/yea

r

Cereals (ex cl. beer)

Starchy roots

Sw eeteners

Pulses, nuts, oilcrops

Fruits & Vegetables

Vegetable oils

Animal Fats

Meat & offals

Fish & seafood

Milk & Eggs

Other

Iran Source: FAOSTAT

1996-98

2. Trends in food suppliesQuantity - The most important change between mid- and late 1990’s (Figure 2) was in thecereal group (excluding beer), which supplied over 50% 0f DES (Figure 3). The cereal supplyincreased during the first decade from about 136 to about 187Kg/caput/year, decreasedthereafter to 171 in the following decade, rose again to the 1974-76 level, and decreased againin the final year (1996-98) to 181 Kg/caput/year-30% more than the base year (1964-66)supply. The fluctuations have been due to food and agricultural policies, climatic changes, etc.


The change in the fruit and vegetable supply was a steady increase from 110 Kg/caput/year in1964-66, tripling in 1996-98. The supplies of animal foods did not, on the whole, changesignificantly. The milk and eggs supply increased steadily from 52 Kg/caput/year in 1964-66to 74 in 1979, but decreased steadily thereafter to reach, by 1996-98, 60 Kg/caput/year-in anycase 12% higher than in 1964-66. Presently the National Nutrition and Food TechnologyResearch Institute in Tehran is in the process of designing a food basket to be used for health,nutrition, and food planning purposes by the concerned ministries.

Energy: Despite socio-economic and lifestyle changes during the last three decades,the national diet is still a predominantly cereal-based diet (Figure 3). However, the trend inthe share of this food group in DES has been a downward trend, although the decrease wasonly about 5% (from 58.1% to 52.9%). During the period the contribution of fruits andvegetables increased from 6.6% to 10.5% and that of sweeteners decreased from 13.3% to9.9%.

Figure 3: Share of major food groups in Dietary Energy SupplyTrends from 1964-66 to

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1964-66 1969-71 1974-76 1979-81 1984-86 1989-91 1996-98

Kcal

/cap

ut/d

ay

Cereals (ex cl. beer)

Starchy roots

Sw eeteners

Pulses, nuts, oilcrops

Fruits & Vegetables

Vegetable oils

Animal Fats

Meat & offals

Fish & seafood

Milk & Eggs

Other


1996-98

Major food imports and exports: The available statistics show that there has been asteady increase in the total food imports between 1964-66 and 1996-98. The changes in thecontribution of the three imported food items in DES between 1964-66 and 1996-98(Figure 4) have been quite different. The share of cereal imports increased nearly six-fold(5.5% to 30.1%) and that of vegetable oil imports more than two-fold (5.3% to 11.9%). The


trend of the contribution made by sweeteners import to DES was different. The sharedecreased first from 8.1% in the base year (1964-66) to 1.4% in 1968-71, but increasedsteadily afterwards to reach, in the final year (1996-98), 5.4%-nevertheless lower than in thebase year. As can be seen from Figure 5, the total annual exports in 1964-66 constituted only0.22% of DES. In 1996-98, the share had increased to just over 3%, the higher share beingthat of vegetable oil (2.5%).

Figure 4: Major food imports as a percentage of Dietary Energy SupplyTrends from 1964-66 to

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1964-66 1969-71 1974-76 1979-81 1984-86 1989-91 1996-98

% o

f DES Cereals (ex cl. beer)

Sw eeteners

Vegetable oils


1996-98

Figure 5: Major food exports as a percentage of Dietary Energy SupplyTrends from 1964-66 to

0

1

2

3

4

1964-66 1969-71 1974-76 1979-81 1984-86 1989-91 1996-98

% o

f DES Fruit (ex cl. Wine)

Vegetable oils


1996-98

3. Food consumptionGeneral. The trends of consumption of food items, based on annual household budget

surveys (SCI, 1983-92), between 1983 and 1992 varied (Table 3a), depending on the type offood (Djazayery and Samimi, 1996). While there was an increase in the cereal, and a decreasein the meat, intake in towns, the consumption of cereals declined, that of fruits and vegetablesincreased, and that of meat remained constant, in villages. The fact that the daily fat intakeincreased in villages from 47.0 to 53.0 Kg (nearly 13%) is significant and in line with theobservation that the prevalence of obesity and other chronic nutritional diseases, or of theirrisk factors, is on the increase in the country. The average per capita energy and protein


intakes are higher (20%-50%) than the respective RDAs. The contribution of cereals – themain dietary food item – to the total energy intake decreased from 72% to 66% in rural areas,whereas it increased from 50% to 57% in urban areas. The share of fruits and vegetables, meatand milk decreased in towns.

The results of a nationwide food consumption survey during 1991-95(NNFTRI/MAgric., 2000) are presented in Table 3a. Cereals (bread and rice) are the mostpopular food item, followed by fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. The average intakes ofpulses and animal products are low. Provincial variations are wide. For example, theinhabitants of the Province of Tehran have the lowest intake of cereals and the highest intakeof fats and oils, while Ilam and Yazd people consume the highest amounts of cereals and thelowest amounts of oils and fats, respectively. It is in the Province of Tehran that the intake offat, the proportion of dietary energy derived from it and the percentage of animal protein arethe highest. Table 3b shows the average daily energy, protein, and fat intakes, as well as theproportions of energy derived from protein and fat. The average proportions of energy fromprotein (11.1), fat (21.6), and carbohydrate (67.3) at the national level are desirable from anutritional point of view.

The share of different food items in the energy intake varies considerably (Table 3c).While the share of meats+eggs is negligible (0.2%) in Sistan-va-Baluchestan, it is 11.0% inthe Province of Tehran; that of fats and oils in Yazd nearly doubles in Tehran (9.6% vs17.0%), and that of dairy products in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari (7.0%0) is five times that inBushehr (1.4%).

The findings of the nationwide study further reveal that at the national level theaverage energy and protein intakes are higher than the respective RDAs. The distribution is,however, such that 20% of the population have a low intake, and over 40% overeat and are,therefore, at risk of-or suffering from-chronic nutritional diseases; only the protein and energyintakes of the remaining 20% is at a desirable level nutritionally. Further analysis of the datashow that the average daily intakes of calcium and iron are higher,and those of vitamins A,B2, and C lower, in villages than in towns. Finally, vitamin B2 is the only nutrient whosedietary requirement is met neither in towns nor in villages, where the vitamin A intake, too, isinsufficient.

A new national food consumption survey has just started by the National Nutrition andFood Technology Research Institute.

Breastfeeding. In 1991 about 73% of the infants throughout the country wereexclusively breastfed for 6 months; the corresponding proportion in 1998 was 86% in villagesand 83% in towns. About 70% of all the infants are breastfed for one year. Complementaryfeeding starts some time after the age of 5-6 months in the majority of cases, the exact time,types, and order of introducing non-milk foods varying widely in different in parts of thecountry (MOHME/UNICEF, 1999).

Changes in food habits and consumption patterns. Food habits are different indifferent rural and urban areas, depending on ecological, agricultural, cultural, and socio-economic factors. Generally, three meals are taken per day. Mixed recipes, e.g., rice+alegume, rice+a meat-containing stew, and vegetables are commonly eaten at lunch and supper.Many people believe in hot and cold foods, but it is not known whether this has any effect ontheir nutritional status. The above studies, as well as many other small-scale, local surveysindicate that food habits and consumption patterns have been changing. The major reasons areas follows: 1. increased average per capita food supplies due to changes in food andagricultural policies (production patterns, exports and imports, etc.), changes in nationalrevenues, etc.; 2. changes in families’ purchasing power in segments of the population; 3.


extensive migration from the villages into towns; 4. increased public health and nutritionalawareness. A consequence of lifestyle changes over the recent decades has been increasedconsumption of processed and fast foods; home food preservation (jam-making, tomato paste-making, etc.) is much less common than it was previously, particularly in towns.The food budget has changed, too. The average family food budget, which was 36% in 1980-85 (World Bank,1993), remained constant until 1995, by when it decreased to 32% in townsand increased to 37% in villages (Pajooyan,1995); a possible reason for the decrease isreduced food wastage due to increasingly higher food prices. Ten percent of the richest and10% of the poorest urban households spend 24% and 45% of their income on food; thecorresponding proportions in rural areas are 43% and 57%, respectively (Pajooyan and Amin-Rashti, 1998). In 1998 the family food budget decreased further to 30% in towns, whereas inincreased to 46% in villages (SCI, 2000).

Table 3a: Food consumption surveys: food intakes

Notes: ... data not available.*Meat includes eggs and poltry and Sweeteners includes sugars only.

Source/ Location Sample Average food intakeYear

of surveyNumber

householdsSex Age

Years

Major Food Groups (kg/caput/year)

Cereals Roots/Tubers Pulses

Fruits/Vege-tables

Oils/Fats Meat* Fish Milk

prod.Sweet-eners* Other

Djazayery & Samimi,1996 Urban 4956 M/F >1 197.1 … ... 149.3 14.6 36.9 … 43.7 … …1992 Rural 4833 " " 234.3 … ... 127.8 11.0 24.8 … 55.1 … …1983 Urban 4523 " " 168.6 … 5.1 267.2 11.7 63.9 … 55.5 14.6 …

Rural 4204 " " 247.8 … 6.2 88.7 7.3 25.9 … 53.7 16.1 …NNFTRI/MAgric., 2000 National 5591 " " 176.1 … 7.7 171.1 14.2 33.6 … 61.0 25.6 10.5

1991-1995 Urban 3254 " " 154.4 … 7.7 190.9 14.6 37.6 … 60.6 23.0 11.7Rural 2337 " " 213.2 … 7.7 141.6 13.9 27.4 … 61.3 28.8 8.8

Provinces:

Semnan 76 M/F >1 157.3 … 5.1 219 14 36.5 … 39 15.7 9.1Kerman 173 " " 176.3 … 7.7 131.0 11.3 27.4 … 49.3 23.4 2.2

Yazd 72 " " 18.7 … 9.1 178.4 10.6 39.4 … 32.9 23.7 3.6Hamedan 166 " " 195.3 … 9.5 123.0 13.9 29.2 … 34.3 29.6 2.6BBushehr 60 " " 161.3 … 9.5 123.4 13.5 39.4 … 18.2 27.4 0.4

Hormozgan 84 " " 165.3 … 4.4 121.5 15.7 54.0 … 20.8 24.5 2.6Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari 71 M/F >1 166.8 … 6.6 221.4 14 44.9 … 110 25.9 2.9

Kohkylouyeh-va-Boyer Ahmad 59 M/F >1 237.6 … 5.5 159.4 13 25.2 … 42.7 24.8 4.0Azarbayjan (West) 204 " " 192.0 … 11.0 213.2 15.7 38.3 … 86.1 29.6 2.2

Mazandaran 372 " " 189.1 … 5.1 152.1 12 50.1 … 52 26.3 4.1Tehran 1024 " " 139.4 … 7.7 131.4 18 53.3 … 42 23.1 8.1

Khorasan 622 " " 194.9 … 7.7 109.5 16 27.7 … 32.9 28.8 6.6Khuzestan 254 " " 186.9 … 9.1 147.8 14 40.5 … 47.1 24.1 8.8

Isfahan 384 " " 147.5 … 7.7 178.1 12 40.9 … 62.1 28.1 1.8Zanjan 172 " " 197.5 … 9.5 233.5 15 28.5 … 57.7 29.2 3.3Guilan 245 " " 196.4 … 8.8 153.4 11 48.2 … 26.6 21.9 6.9Markazi 144 " " 169.7 … 8.1 236.1 15 35.8 … 54.1 28.1 1.5

Kordestan 112 " " 192.3 … 5.8 181.1 13 35.4 … 75.2 27.4 5.8Azabayjan (East) 432 " " 184.7 … 9.1 211.4 14 35.1 … 60.6 28.5 0.4

Ilam 54 " " 255.9 … 4.5 119.7 13 37.6 … 65.7 26.6 2.6Bakhtaran 162 " " 210.2 … 5.8 181.6 15 32.5 … 40.5 22.6 2.6Lorestan 144 " " 215.1 … 6.2 198.3 15 36.9 … 67.5 28.8 1.8

Fars 348 " " 173.7 … 7.3 175.6 14 45.6 … 30.7 20.4 7.7Sistan-va-Baluchestan 156 M/F >1 223.4 … 6.2 81.1 12 35.4 … 45 28.8 1.5


Table 3b: Food composition surveys: energy and nutrient intakes

Note ...data not available

Source/ Location Sample Average food intakeYear

of surveyNumber

householdsSex Age

Years

Nutrient Intake (per person/day)

Energy(kcals)

%Protein

%Fat

Protein(g)

%Animal

productsFat(g)

%Animal

products

Djazayery & Samimi,1996

National:1992 Urban 4956 M/F >1 2900 11.3 22.7 82.0 … 73.0 …

Rural 4833 " " 2900 11.5 16.4 83.0 … 53.0 …1983 Urban 4523 M/F >1 2700 13.0 25.0 88.0 … 75.0 …

Rural 4204 " " 2700 12.4 14.6 90 … 47 …NNFTRI/Magric., National M/F >1 2672 11.1 21.6 74.0 26.8 64.0 …

2000 Urban 3254 " " 2496 … … 71.0 …1991-1995 Rural 2337 " " 2919 … … 74.0 …

Provinces:Semnan 76 M/F >1 2512 10.8 24.7 68.0 30.6 69.0 …Kerman 173 " " 2487 11.4 19.5 71.0 27.1 54.0 …

Yazd 72 " " 2611 11.6 20.7 76.0 27.9 60.0 …Hamedan 166 " " 2836 10.6 20.3 75.0 19.8 64.0 …Bushehr 60 " " 2496 10.4 20.9 65.0 22.9 58.0 …

Hormozgan 84 " " 2458 10.8 23.2 67.0 32.2 64.0 …Chaharmahal-va-

Bakhtiari 71 M/F >1 2622 11.4 24.0 75.0 34.1 70.0 …Kohkilouyeh-va-

Boyrahmad 50 M/F >1 2795 10.4 17.6 72.0 19.2 54.0 …Azarbayjan (West) 204 " " 2980 11.7 23.3 87.0 29.4 77.0 …

Mazandaran 372 " " 2690 11.0 21.7 74.0 31.2 65.0 …Tehran 1024 " " 2487 11.3 29.7 70.0 37.7 82.0 …

Khorasan 622 " " 2682 10.9 21.5 73.0 23.2 64.0 …Khuzestan 254 " " 2683 11.3 21.1 76.0 25.8 63.0 …

Isfahan 384 " " 2427 11.2 24.5 68.0 34.1 66.0 …Zanjan 172 " " 3010 10.4 20.3 78.0 23.0 68.0 …Guilan 245 " " 2743 10.8 19.7 74.0 27.7 60.0 …

Markazi 144 " " 2656 11.1 23.4 74.1 29.4 69.1 …Kurdestan 112 " " 2813 10.9 19.5 77.0 25.2 61.0 …

Azabayjan (East) 432 " " 2849 11.0 20.8 79.0 26.3 66.0 …Ilam 54 " " 3121 11.3 18.2 88.0 22.6 63.0 …

Kermanshah 162 " " 2823 10.9 19.8 77.1 20.2 61.8 …Lorestan 144 " " 2989 10.9 20.2 81.0 24.1 67.0 …

Fars 348 " " 2604 10.7 23.5 70.0 27.9 68.0 …Sistan-va-Baluchestan 156 M/F >1 2755 11.1 21.6 74.0 26.8 64.0 …


Table 3c: Food composition surveys: food group shares in energy intake

Note ... data not available.*Meat includes eggs and poultry, and sweeteners includes sugars only.

Source/ Location Sample Average food intake Number

householdsSex Age

YearsShare of major food groups in total energy intake (%)

CerealsRoots/Tubers Pulses

Fruits/Vege-tables

Oils/Fats Meat* Fish

Milkprod.

Sweet-eners* Other

Djazayery & Samimi, 19961992 National:

Urban 4956 M/F >1 57.0 … … 4.0 10.0 6.0 … 5.0 7.0 11.0Rural 4833 " " 66.0 … … 3.5 9.0 4.0 … 5.0 7.0 5.6

1983 National:Urban 4523 M/F >1 50.0 … … 9.0 9.0 11.0 … 10.0 6.0 5.0Rural 4204 " " 72.0 … … 3.5 7.0 4.0 … 5.0 6.0 2.5

NNFTRI/Magric., 2000 National 5591 M/F >1 56.1 … 2.6 6.8 12.0 6.6 … 4.3 9.2 2.41991-1995 Provinces

Semnan 76 M/F >1 52.0 … 2.0 9.0 14.2 10.0 … 5.0 7.0 0.8Kerman 173 " " 58.0 … 3.0 6.0 11.0 6.0 … 5.0 10.0 1.0

Yazd 72 " " 56.0 … 3.5 6.3 9.6 7.9 … 4.2 9.4 3.1Hamedan 166 " " 57.5 … 3.0 5.2 11.5 5.1 … 3.3 11.2 2.2Bushehr 60 " " 52.5 … 3.8 9.6 13.4 6.2 … 1.4 11.0 2.1

Hormozgan 84 " " 52.5 … 1.7 8.0 15.3 7.7 … 2.3 10.2 2.3Chaharmah-va

Bakhtiari 71 M/F >1 51.8 … 2.5 7.7 12.0 8.7 … 7.0 8.5 1.8Kohkilouyeh-va

Boyrahmad 59 M/F >1 62.8 … 2.0 6.4 11.3 4.3 … 3.1 8.2 1.9Azabayjan (West) 204 " " 53.0 … 3.7 6.5 13.1 6.6 … 6.3 9.4 1.4

Mazandaran 372 " " 57.0 … 1.9 5.4 11.0 8.8 … 4.5 8.7 2.7Tehran 1024 " " 46.0 … 3.0 7.7 17.0 11.0 … 5.0 8.0 2.3

Khorasan 622 " " 58.0 … 3.0 4.6 14.1 5.0 … 3.4 9.0 2.9Khuzestan 254 " " 57.4 … 3.3 6.0 12.2 6.6 … 4.0 8.3 2.2

Isfahan 384 " " 51.2 … 3.0 5.0 12.5 9.0 … 6.5 11.0 1.8Zanjan 172 " " 54.0 … 3.1 9.5 12.4 5.1 … 4.6 10.1 1.2Guilan 245 " " 60.2 … 3.0 6.7 9.7 7.7 … 2.8 7.2 1.8Central 144 " " 51.8 … 2.9 8.3 13.1 7.4 … 5.3 9.7 1.5

Kurdestan 112 " " 56.3 … 2.0 8.6 4.4 4.1 … 6.3 9.9 8.4Azarbayjan (East) 431 " " 54.9 … 3.2 7.5 12.1 5.7 … 5.5 10.0 1.1

Ilam 54 " " 64.4 … 1.5 4.0 10.0 5.9 … 4.3 9.8 1.0Kermanshah 162 " " 60.3 … 2.1 7.7 12.7 5.9 … 2.3 8.0 1.0

Lorestan 144 " " 58.8 … 2.0 6.3 12.2 6.0 … 3.9 10.0 0.8Fars 348 " " 56.6 … 2.8 6.4 12.9 8.8 … 2.9 7.2 2.4

Sistan-va-Baluchestan 156 M/F >1 64.6 … 2.2 5.2 11 0.2 … 5.3 10.5 1.5


4. Anthropometric data

Children: A nationwide survey including 11139 children in 1995 (MOHME/UNICEF,1996) showed (Table 4a-3) that the prevalences of moderate and severe (-<2SD)underweight, stunting, and wasting were 15.7%, 18.9%, and 6.6%, respectively. Thevariations among provinces were considerable: the ranges were, for underweight 4.8% to34.7%, for stunting 3.3% to 41.5%, and for wasting 1.1% to 16.9%; overweight (%weight/height>+2SD) ranged between 0.0% and 9.4%. There were also large variationsbetween rural and urban areas (Table 4a-4). In the urban areas the underweight, stunting, andwasting rates were 13.3%, 12.2%, and 6.9%; the corresponding proportions in the rural areaswere 18.7%, 24.2%, and 6.4%. The results of a second national survey in 1998 are also shownin Table 4a-1 and Table 4a-2 (MOHME/UNICEF, 2000); a reduction of 44%, 35%, and 23%had occurred in the prevalences of underweight, stunting, and wasting, respectively, butmalnutrition was still more prevalent in villages. The provincial variations still exist. Theprovinces with the highest rates are exactly the same (Sistan-va-Baluchestan and Hormozgan)and the Central Province has the lowest rate (3.4%). However, the provinces with the lowestproportions of stunted and wasted children are now Guilan (6.8%) and Golestan (1.1%),replacing Semnan and Kohkilouyeh-va-Boyerahmad, respectively. As regards overweight,Ardebil still ranks first (9.9%), while at the bottom of the list stands the small Province ofChaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari.

According to Maps 2, 3, and 4 (based on the above-mentioned 1998 study), generallyit is the children in the southern and south-eastern regions that suffer most from malnutrition.The highest prevalences of wasting (=>15% and stunting (=>40%) are found in the southerncoastal province of Hormozgan (Map 2) and the southern hot-and-dry province of Sistan-va-Baluchestan (Map 3), respectively. The prevalence of underweight is also highest (20%-30%)in the same two provinces (Map 4). The situation is relatively better in the northern half of thecountry, which includes mainly the northern, north-eastern, north-western, as well as centraland south-central, provinces.

The findings of both the 1995 and1998 studies reveal that (a) malnutrition peak is inthe second year of life, and (b) the growth rate slows down after the age of 6 months in manycases, which may be due to late introduction of solid food. The gender differences in the 1995study were negligible, but the results of the 1998 survey showed that malnutrition rates werelower in girls than in boys, although the differences were not large. In both surveys theproportions of overweight children were virtually the same in boys and girls. Many othersmall-scale, local surveys show that malnutrition is more widespread in hot regions and in thesummer. Other predisposing or contributing factors to malnutrition are a low socio-economicstatus, a low health and nutritional awareness, inadequate access to food, and insufficientaccess to health services; the relative weights of these factors vary considerably in differentparts of the country and under different circumstances.


Table 4a-1: Anthropometric data on children

Notes: ... no data availableEach index is expressed in terms of the number of standard deviations (SD) units from the median of theNCHS/CDC/WHO international reference population. * Includes children who are below -3 SD.

Source/ Location Sample Percentage of malnutrition Year

of surveySize

NumberSex Age

Years

Underweight Stunting Wasting Overweight% Weight/Age % Height/Age % Weight/Height % Weight/Height< -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD > +2SD

MOHME, UNICEF. 2000 National 1998 Random subsample 2536 M/F 0-4.99 1.5 10.9 3.8 15.4 0.9 4.9 4.3

Ardebil 878 " " 0.7 6.4 5.0 20.5 0.6 2.5 9.9Bushehr 968 " " 1.4 8.8 2.1 11.3 0.9 6.4 2.1

Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari 808 " " 2.0 16.8 3.7 15.5 0.9 6.6 0.3Azerbayjan (East) 939 " " 0.9 6.5 3,7 15.3 0.5 3.3 6.7

Esfahan 676 " " 1.2 10.6 1,9 10.8 1.2 7.4 4.1Fars 964 " " 1.4 11.3 4.6 16.7 0.6 5.9 5.6

Qazvin 980 " " 0.4 8.2 2.1 10.8 0.2 3.6 3.5Qom 564 " " 0.9 5.1 0.7 9.9 0.7 3.6 4.6

Golestan 831 " " 0.2 4.0 2.3 13.8 0.0 1.1 4.3Guilan 989 " " 1.0 6.8 1.1 6.8 0.5 2.5 3.4

Hamedan 837 " " 1.4 11.4 3.5 18.3 0.8 4.7 3.3Hormozgan 788 " " 4.4 23.8 6.6 21.6 1.7 11.3 2.4

Ilam 951 " " 1.9 11.7 3.0 14.6 0.6 4.7 1.6Kerman 1001 " " 2.3 18.0 6.2 21.7 1.1 7.9 3.7

Khermanshah 965 " " 0.9 9.6 3.2 14.0 0.2 3.7 2.0Khorasan 974 " " 1.4 13.7 5.3 20.0 0.3 4.4 2.2Khuzestan 875 " " 1.5 11.4 3.9 14.6 1.3 6.0 3.5

Kohguiluyeh-va-Bouyerahmad 729 " " 2.4 17.6 8.5 26.3 1.0 5.8 2.5Kordestan 960 " " 1.2 11.5 5.1 21.1 0.3 3.4 2.0Lorestan 977 " " 1.6 10.1 3.7 15.4 0.9 4.4 2.3Markazi 868 " " 1.3 3.4 2.0 9.7 0.7 3.7 8.4

Mazandaran 869 " " 1.1 6.5 1.2 7.5 0.7 5.3 4.6Semnan 724 " " 0.8 9.1 1.8 11.9 0.8 4.6 3.5

Sistan-va-Baluchestan 894 " " 5.2 25.8 16.1 38.1 2.0 9.5 4.9Tehran 791 " " 0.8 7.2 1.7 7.5 1.2 6.0 5.6

Azerbayjan (West) 965 " " 1.7 8.6 3.7 16.3 0.9 4.2 5.2Yazd 669 " " 1.8 12.9 2.5 10.3 1.5 8.0 1.5

Zanjan 804 " " 1.7 12.4 5.3 22.4 1.2 4.0 4.3



Note:... data not available


of surveySize

NumberSex Age

YearsUnderweight Stunting Wasting Overweight% Weight/Age % Height/Age % Weight/Height % Weight/Height

< -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD > +2SD

MOHME, UNICEF. 2000 National 454 M/F 0-0.49 0.6 3.0 1.8 8.6 0.2 1.6 12.11998 504 M/F 0.5-0.99 1.5 7.1 3.2 15.1 1.2 3.4 8.8

998 M/F 1 1.1 11.4 5.3 18.4 0.9 6.2 4.0991 M/F 2 1.6 13.8 4.4 15.2 0.8 6.0 2.3

1113 M/F 3 1.4 11.8 4.0 14.8 0.7 4.8 2.21091 M/F 4 1.9 11.9 3.6 14.9 1.4 5.3 2.9

Urban 3164 M/F 0-4.99 1.1 9.6 2.5 11.0 1.0 5.6 4.5Rural 3126 M/F 0-4.99 2.0 13.7 6.6 21.8 0.9 4.8 3.9

1354 M 0-4.99 2.0 11.9 4.0 16.8 1.2 5.1 4.6239 M 0-0.49 1.3 4.6 2.9 13.8 0.0 1.3 13.8284 M 0.5-0.99 2.4 7.5 3.9 17.3 1.8 3.5 10.6554 M 1 1.4 14.2 6.0 20.6 1.1 6.5 3.5531 M 2 1.8 12.7 4.5 16.8 0.8 6.0 2.3548 M 3 1.1 12.2 4.6 15.9 1.1 5.1 1.3542 M 4 2.4 13.2 3.1 14.0 1.9 6.2 2.3

1182 F 0-4.99 1.0 9.7 3.6 13.9 0.6 4.7 4.1215 F 0-0.49 0.0 1.3 0.5 2.8 0.5 1.9 9.9220 F 0.5-0.99 0.4 6.5 2.3 12.3 0.5 3.2 7.7444 F 1 1.1 11.4 4.5 15.8 0.7 5.9 4.7460 F 2 1.3 15.1 4.3 13.5 0.9 5.9 2.3565 F 3 1.7 11.5 3.5 13.8 0.4 4.4 2.2549 F 4 1.4 10.7 4.0 15.8 0.9 4.4 3.6





of surveySize

NumberSex Age


< -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD > +2SD

MOHME. 1996 National 11139 M/F 0-4.99 2.9 15.7 5.3 18.9 0.6 6.6 3.31995 Ardebil 320 " " 2.2 12.5 10.6 26.9 0.9 3.4 9.4

Bushehr 168 " " 1.8 14.3 5.5 19.0 0.6 5.4 0.6 Azerbayjan (East) 654 " " 2.3 10.6 8.1 24.5 0.6 2.6 5.4

Fars 749 " " 1.1 17.8 5.8 19.8 0.3 5.6 1.1Guilan 400 " " 1.0 8.8 1.5 10.6 0.5 5.3 3.6

Hamedan 361 " " 3.1 18.4 7.3 25.4 0.8 6.6 3.4Hormozgan 295 " " 8.8 31.5 10.1 27.9 3.1 16.9 6.8

Ilam 149 " " 4.0 20.1 4.8 15.1 2.0 10.1 1.4Isfahan 534 2.1 16.5 1.9 11.2 1.1 9.4 2.2Kerman 410 " " 2.2 21.5 7.9 26.1 0.5 5.6 1.9

Khermanshah 362 " " 0.8 14.1 2.8 12.6 0.6 4.7 2.5Khorasan 1278 " " 4.9 25.4 7.0 23.7 1.6 11.6 1.7

Khuzestan 954 " " 2.4 14.6 5.1 18.6 0.8 6.1 3.1Kohguiluyeh-va-Bouyerahma 177 " " 2.8 21.5 12.2 39.0 0.0 1.1 4.0

Kordestan 296 " " 2.7 17.6 6.5 22.0 0.7 5.4 1.0Lorestan 408 " " 2.2 13.7 8.7 23.9 0.0 2.7 2.9Markazi 207 " " 0.0 4.8 1.9 9.7 0.0 4.4 9.2

Mazandaran 752 " " 1.1 10.3 2.7 12.9 0.5 5.2 2.5Semnan 61 " " 0.0 13.1 0.0 3.3 1.6 9.8 3.3

Sistan-va- Baluchestan 529 " " 12.7 34.7 18.7 41.5 2.8 12.7 3.4Tehran-va-Qom 1262 " " 1.4 9.7 2.2 8.6 1.4 8.1 1.8

Azerbayjan (West) 644 " " 2.0 15.9 6.8 20.3 0.6 5.1 2.3Yazd 80 " " 3.8 25.0 2.5 12.5 5.0 16.3 0.0

Zanjan-va-Qazvin 396 " " 2.8 12.4 4.9 18.9 1.0 6.1 2.6




Adolescents: No national study has been conducted on the nutritional status ofadolescents. The results of anthropometric studies in Tehran and a few other large cities(chief-cities of provinces) show (Table 4b) that BMI increases with age (11-14 years), whichmeans that the rate of height increase is lower than that of weight increase. This indicates thatthe nutritional requirements of some of the girls are not met fully, as the rate of linear growthin normally higher than that of weight increase. Several small-scale studies indicate that manyadolescent girls tend to undereat for fear of becoming obese; on the other hand, 13.3% ofTehrani girls are obese.


of surveySize

NumberSex Age


< -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD < -3SD < -2SD > +2SDMOHME. 1996 National 989 M/F 0-0.49 0.5 2.3 1.0 4.0 0.3 3.2 7.4

1995 1022 M/F 0.5-0.99 3.8 12.9 4.4 16.3 0.9 6.3 6.42183 M/F 1 4.1 20.5 9.6 27.2 1.6 9.4 3.32304 M/F 2 2.9 19.5 6.7 19.5 0.7 7.7 1.72305 M/F 3 2.9 18.1 6.0 20.0 1.3 7.7 1.82336 M/F 4 2.5 16.9 5.1 20.7 1.0 6.6 1.3

Urban 4762 M/F 0-4.99 1.8 13.3 2.9 12.2 1.0 7.8 2.4Rural 6953 M/F 0-4.99 3.8 18.7 8.1 24.8 0.9 6.0 2.9

5648 M 0-4.99 2.7 15.0 5.2 19.5 0.4 6.1 3.3515 M 0-0.49 0.6 2.3 1.0 4.5 0.6 3.2 9.0493 M 0.5-0.99 4.2 13.5 5.3 18.5 0.8 7.0 4.11138 M 1 4.3 21.3 10.0 28.8 1.4 8.7 3.31211 M 2 3.2 19.6 6.9 19.0 0.7 8.2 3.41140 M 3 2.9 20.4 6.1 19.4 1.7 7.1 2.11151 M 4 2.3 17.0 5.7 20.6 1.3 6.6 1.45491 F 0-4.99 3.1 16.3 5.3 18.4 0.8 7.1 3.3474 F 0-0.49 0.4 2.3 1.1 3.6 0.0 3.1 6.1529 F 0.5-0.99 3.4 12.3 3.6 14.4 0.9 5.7 8.31045 F 1 3.8 19.6 9.1 25.4 1.7 10.1 3.31093 F 2 2.4 19.3 6.5 20.1 0.5 7.1 1.21165 F 3 2.9 15.7 6.0 20.7 0.9 8.3 1.71185 F 4 2.6 16.8 4.6 20.8 0.7 6.6 1.4

Navab SW et al. 1982 Shemiranat district 404 M/F 0-4.99 9.4 36.6 22.1 55.7 0.8 7.2 0.51982 Rural 75 " 0-0.99 6.8 27.0 13.5 40.5 1.4 8.1 2.6

94 " 1 8.5 40.4 17.0 48.9 1.1 12.8 0.077 " 2 13.0 36.4 19.5 62.3 1.3 7.8 0.082 " 3 7.3 41.5 30.5 63.4 0.0 2.4 0.076 " 4 11.8 36.8 30.3 64.5 0.0 6.6 0.0

Djazavery A. 1981 Rural 754 M/F 0-4.99 43.1 50.4 13.0 6.81980 290 " 0-0.99 32.0 41.4 14.1 10.7

179 " 1 53.1 57.5 22.9 5.090 " 2 48.9 56.7 8.9 4.4

105 " 3 54.3 50.5 5.7 2.990 " 4 40.0 58.9 2.2 4.4


Table 4b: Anthropometric data on adolescents


Adults: Based on BMI, on the average, about 36% of the populations of severalprovinces where surveys have been conducted, are overweight), ranging between 25.5% in thesouth of Tehran to 63.0% in Khorasan; there is no appreciable gender difference. On the otherhand, the average prevalence of obesity is 3.7% in men-about 2/3 that in women (6.1%); theprovincial variations are considerable (Table 4c).

The anthropometric data on adolescents and adults indicate that I. R. Iran is goingthrough an epidemiological and food and nutrition transition, which would be expected,considering the food consumption patterns; the fact that the trends of chronic nutritionaldiseases are increasing is a further confirmation.

Source/ Location Sample Anthropometric status Year

of surveySize

NumberSex Age

Years

Height (cm)Body Mass Index

(kg/m2)mean SD median mean SD median

Eghtesadi et al. 1996 Tabriz 446 F 11-14y 150.7 9.1 … 19.2 3.5

1995 Ahvaz 450 F 11-14y 152.1 7.6 … 18.7 3.5 … Ahmadian et al. 1996 Hamedan 896 F 12 148.2 … … 16.9 …

1995 " 13 154.1 … … 18.6 … " 14 157.3 … … 19.1 … … " 15 158.1 … ... 20.4 … … " 16 159.5 … … 20.8 … …

Mostafavi et al. 1996 Hamedan 901 F 11 138.2 30.1 … 15.8 …1995 805 " 11 142.1 33.3 … 16.4 … …

850 M 17 169.3 55.2 … 19.3 … … Djazayery,Poormoghi 120 F 14-15 158.2 5.5 … 21.1 3.4

et al.,1999 124 " 15-16 159.7 5.3 … 21.5 3.21995 122 " 16-17 160.4 5.4 … 22.0 4.2 …

122 " 17-18 160.9 4.9 … 22.1 2.8 …Parvin et al., 1995 Kerman 1000 F 14-20 158.8 7.8 … 19.8 3

Ravanshad et al. 1992 Shiraz 557 F 14-18 159.2 5.4 … … … …Azizi et al., 1987 Tehran 77 F 10 142.0 7.0 … 16.5 2.0 …

1986 77 " 11 140.0 7.0 … 17.5 1.2 …77 " 12 149.0 7.0 … 18.9 3.0 …77 " 13 151.0 6.2 … 19.7 2.9 …77 " 14 153.0 5.5 … 20.2 2.3 …


Table 4c: Anthropometric data on adults


5. Micronutrient deficienciesBased on the findings of a national survey in 1989 (Table 5a), which showed the

prevalence of goitre to range from 10% to 70% among school children (Kimiagar et al., 1990),the provinces were divided into 3 groups of hyperendemic (prevalence>50%), endemic(prevalence 35.0%-49.9%), and low endemic (prevalence<35%)(Sheikholeslam, 1993).Another national study was conducted in 1996 (Table 5a) (SBUMS, 1996). Unfortunately,since the age/gender groups, methods, and classifications used were not the same in the twostudies, the findings cannot be compared; at any rate, the total goitre rate was 59.0% in 1989and 55.0% in 1996 (Sheikholeslam, 1999). Goitre is still endemic in many provinces, althoughthe average urinary iodine level has been reported to exceed 10mcg/dl (Azizi et al., 1999),indicating a sufficient intake.

Efforts through the National IDD Control Programme, which has been under waysince 1989, have resulted in promoting iodised salt consumption. The proportions of rural andurban families consuming iodised salt increased from 52% and 76% in 1994 to 93% and 97%in 1997, respectively (MOHME (Nutrition Unit)/UNICEF, 2000); in 1998, the correspondingproportion for all the families was 97% (UNICEF/WHO/ICCIDD, 1999).

No national study has been conducted to determine the vitamin A deficiencyprevalence. Table 5a shows the prevalence in areas studied based on serum retinol level.

Source/ Location SampleYear

of surveySize

NumberSex Age

Years

Body Mass Index(kg/m2)

Chronic Energy Deficiency% BMI

Overweight% BMI

Obesity% BMI

mean SD median <16.0 16.0-16.9 17.0-18.5< 25.0 - 29.9 >30.0

Pishdad, Gh. 1995 Khorasan 2110 M 20-74 … … … … … … 63.0 1.0F " … … … … … … 51.0 2.4

1995 Mazandaran 2387 M " … … … … … … 38.0 8.0F " … … … … … … 39.0 13.0

1995 Tehran 7267 M " … … … … … … 30.0 2.0F " … … … … … … 33.5 3.6

1995 Tehran,south 3887 M " … … … … … … 25.5 2.0F " … … … … … … 38.5 2.6

1995 Yazd 2926 M " … … … … … … 29.1 5.1

F " … … … … … … 32.5 4.71994 Isfahan 3552 M " … … … … … … 33.0 3.0

F " … … … … … … 35.0 9.01994 Kohkiluyeh-va 561 M " 34.0 5.0

Boyerahmad 491 F " … … … … … … 36.0 7.5Navayi et al., 1993

1991 Tehran, rural 2703 M/F All ... … … <20: 20-25<: …areas 5.0 33.0 38.0 24.0

and Percentage of malnutritionAnthropometric status


Although small-scale surveys indicate that there are cases with clinical signs of VAD(Kimiagar et al., 1996), no definite conclusions can be drawn.

The first nationwide anaemia study in the 2-69 year-old groups was conducted byMOHME (MOHME, 1994) (Table 5b). Anaemia (based on hemoglobin) prevalence rangedfrom 3.8% in the central provinces to 30.0% in the southern Province of Sistan -va-Baluchestan. Mild anaemia afflicted 15.5% of all the age groups. The gender differencestarted to appear at the age of 15: in the 15-39 year group the prevalence in women (14.5%)was higher than in men (10.7%), the corresponding proportions in the 40-69 year group being14.0% and 12.6%, respectively. Altogether the prevalence was low (<5%) in the centralprovinces, high (>20%) in five provinces, mostly in the south, and medium (5%-20%) in theremaining provinces.

A second national study was carried out in 1994-95 in women (MOHME/UNICEF,1995). The results (Table 5b) reveal that about 1/3 of all the women were anaemic, 35% iron-deficient, and 16.6% suffering from iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA). Iron deficiency was mostprevalent among the 15-19 year-old girls, while the prevalences of anaemia and IDA werehigher in the pregnant women. The anaemia prevalence was the same in the urban and ruralareas, but it increased after the age of 40 (below 40: 33.0%, after 40: 41%). Both irondeficiency and IDA increased with increasing parity.

On the whole, anaemia afflicts about 1/3 of the women and children. Based on theWHO classification (WHO, 1996), Iran is in the moderate anaemia prevalence category(hemoglobin in 10%-39% of the school children and child bearing-age women below theirrespective reference values). A review of the literature shows that the contributing factors toanaemia include, like in many other countries, parasitic and infectious diseases, poor weaningpractices, gastrointestinal hemorrhages, short birth intervals, and a low dietary iron bio-availability (Djazayery and Pajooyan, 2000).

A nationwide integrated micronutrient survey is about to begin by MOHME tocomplete and update information on the micronutrient situation; MOHME has also started abread fortification (with iron and folic acid) project.


Table 5a: Surveys on micronutrient deficiencies

Note: ... data not available

Source/ Deficiency Location Sample PercentageYear

of surveySize

NumberSex Age

Years

IodineMOHME, 1994b Grades 1b+2 National 28389 M/F 6-18 52.9

1993 " 7723 M/F 6-18 42.9" 14665 M/F 6-18 28.5

SBUMS,1996 Grades 1b+2 Rural 5013 M 8-10 38.71995 " 11725 F 8-10 46.7

Urban 5274 M 8-10 32.0" 14015 F 8-10 42.3

Vitamin ANNFTRI,1999 Breastmilk Baluchestan 227 F* 1-9mo. 32.0

1999 retinol<1.05mc- post-mol/l part.

NNFTRI/UNICEF, 10-19.9mcg/dl Ilam Total n: M/F 0.5-6 8.01994 <10mcg/dl 362 M/F 0.5-6 1.51994

Yassaii & Malek, <20mcg/dl Civic Tehran 270 M 0 35.01989 280 F 0 21.01987

Kimiagar et al., 1988 Retinol:1986 <20mcg/dl Shahriar 48 M/F 0-5 9.0

(Tehran suburb) 353 M/F 6-12 6.4144 M/F 6-12 2.7

Kohkilouyeh-va-Boyerahmad 95 M/F 7-17 23.010.0-19.9mcg/dl Central Iran Total n: M/F 7 17.2

<10mcg/dl 2000 M/F 7 2.0


Table 5b: Surveys on micronutrient deficiencies

Note: Data not available

Source/ Deficiency Location Sample PercentageYear

of surveySize

NumberSex Age

Years

IronMOHME/UNICEF, Hemoglobin<

1995 12g/dl National 1351 F 15-49 33.31994-95 11g/dl " 111 F** " 40.5

Serum ferritin<12.1mcg/l National 1257 F 15-49 33.5

" 109 F** " 51.4

Iron-deficiency National 1120 F 15-49 15.5anemia*** " 86 F** " 34.4

MOHME,1994 (Hb<12g/dl) National 8246 M 2-141994 Mild 7.8

Moderate 2.4Severe 1.1

National 8249 F 2-14Mild 8.0


National 6270 M 15-39Mild 6.6




National 7503 M 40-69Mild 8.2





REFERENCES

Ahmadian H., Eskandari S., and Kh. Delshad. 1996. Anthropometric measurements andpuberty stages in Hamadani school girl students. MD Thesis. Hamadan University ofMedical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

Ansari N., Eghtessadi Sh. et al. 2001. Growth patterns and nutritional status of 11-14 year-old school girls in Ahvaz, Iran. 6th Iranian Nutrition Congress, Feb. 12-15, 2001,Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences and Iranian Nutrition Society, Ahvaz, Iran.

Azizi F, Sheikholeslam R. et al. 1999. Monitoring iodine deficiency prevention in 26provinces in Iran, 1996. 9th Congress of Internal Medicine, 11-14 May, 1999, IranUniversity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Azizi F., Farzin F. et al. 1987. Stages of puberty in East Tehrani girls. Daru-va-Darman, 4th

Year (44): 10-15

Djazayery A. 1981. Nutritional status of rural Iranian children. Abstract No 497, XIIInternational Nutrition Congress. San Diego, California, 1981 (and additionalanalysis).

Djazayery A. and J. Pajooyan. 2000. Food consumption patterns and nutritional problemsin the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nutrition and Health, 14: 53-61.

Djazayery A., Poormoghim M. et al. 1999. Food security and nutrient intakes in a group ofhigh school girls in Tehran, Iran. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 28: 1-10.

Djazayery A. and B. Samimi. 1996. Food consumption and energy intake patterns in therural and urban areas of Iran, 1983-1992. Agricultural Economics and Development,4th Year: 218-248. (Based on household budget surveys conducted by the StatisticalCentre of Iran.)

Eghtessadi Sh., Dastguiri S., and F Zargari. 1996. Physical growth of Tabrizi 11-14 year-old girls. National Seminar on Nutrition and Malnutriton, 1-2 June, 1996, LorestanUniversity of Medical Sceinces, Khorramabad, Iran.

FAO. 2000. Food Insecurity; When People Live with Hunger and Fear Starvation. FAO,Rome, Italy.

FAOSTAT. 1999. FAO Web page. Statistics database . FAO, Rome.

FAO/WFS (World Food Summit). 1996. Mapping Undernutrition - an ongoing process-.Poster for the World Food Summit 13-17 November 1996. FAO, Rome.

Kimiagar M., Djazayery A. et al. 1996. Vitamin A status in Iran. Sight and LifeNewsletter,2/1996: 9-15.


Kimiagar M., Yassayi M. et al. 1988. Vitamin A status in Iran. International Journal ofVitamin and Nutrition Research, 58: 103-104.

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). Unpublished Reports, Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). 1994a. Goitre Prevalence in I. R.Iran,1993, MOHME,Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Ministry of Healrth and Medical Education). 1994b. Report on the NationalHealth Survey. MOHME, Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Minstry of Health and Medical Education). 1994c. National Report onPopulation, The Islamic republic of Iran. Country Report presented at the InternationalConference on Population and Development. Cairo, 1994. MOHME/UNFPA, Tehran,Iran.

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). 1998. The Progress of Provinces.MOHME/UNICEF, Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). 1999. The Nutritional Status ofChildren, October-November 1998. MOHME, Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education), Undersecretary for PublicAffairs. 1996. Cluster survey of evaluation of mid-decade goal indicators (MICS).Teheran, Islamic Republic of Iran. April 1996 (and additional analysis).

MOHME (Ministry of Health and Medical Education)/UNICEF. 1995. Multi-center Studyon Iron-deficiency Anaemia among 15-49 Year-old Women in I. R. Iran.MOHME/UNICEF, Tehran, Iran.

MOHME (Nutrition Unit)/UNICEF). 2000. Overcoming Iodine Deficiency in I. R. Iran,February 2000. MOHME/UNICEF, Tehran, Iran

Mostafavi M., Salahrad K. et al. 1996. Weights, heights, and blood pressure in 11-17 year-old school students. MD Thesis, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan,Iran.

NNFTRI (National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institue). 1999. Vitamin Astatus in Sistan-va-Baluchestan, 1999. NNFTRI, Tehran, Iran.

NNFTRI/MAgric.(National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute/Ministryof Agriculture). 2000. Food Consupmtion Patterns in I. R. Iran, 1991-95.(unpublished Data).

NNFTRI (National Nutrition and Food Tchnology Research Institute)/UNICEF. 1994.Vitamin A status of 12-71 month-old children in Ilam,1994. NNFTRI/UNICEF,Tehran, Iran.


Navayi L., Kimiagar M. Azizi and F. 1993. Body mass index in Tehran Province villages.NNFTRI, Tehran, Iran.

Navab SW et al. 1982. Heights and weights of Iranian preschool children in a rural healthcare network. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 1982;28:180-186 (and additionalanalysis)

Parvin F., Janghorbani M. and A. Ostadrani. 1995. Prevalence of obesity in Kermani girls.MD Thesis No. 636, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Pajooyan J. 1995. The Household Budget and Expenditure Surveys. Iran Statistical Center,Tehran, Iran.

Pajooyan J. and N Amin-Rashti. 1998. Food Consumption in I. R. Iran. Iran StatisticalCenter, Tehran, Iran.

Pishdad Gh. (thesis supervisor). MD Theses. Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz,Iran.

Ravanshad Sh., Zohoori F. and A. Sotoudehmaram. 1992. Physical growth in Shirazi 14-18 year-old girls.

2nd Iranian Nutrition Congress, 13-15 November, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences andIranian Nutrition Society, Tabriz, Iran.

SBUMS (Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences). 1996. Goitre prevalence,urinary iodine and plasma thyroid hormones in 8-10 year-old students. EndocrineResearch Center, SBUMS, Tehran, Iran.

SCI (Statistical Center of Iran). 1983-92. Annual Reports on household budget surveys,SCI, Tehran, Iran.

SCI (Statistical Center of Iran). 2000. Iran Statistical Yearbook March 1998-March 1999.SCI, Tehran, Iran.

Shekholeslam R. 1993. Situation of iodine-deficiency disorders in I. R. Iran. Department onNutrition, MOHME, Tehran, Iran.

Shekholeslam R. 1999. Iodine deficiency control in Iran and a preliminary evaluation of theNational IDD Control Programme. MPH Thesis, School of Public Health, TehranUniversity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Tabatabai, H. 1996. Statistics on poverty and income distribution. An ILO Compendium ofdata. International Labour Office, Geneva.

UN. 1998. World Population Prospects Database 1950-2050. The 1998. Revision. United Nations Population Division. New York.


UN. 1996. World Urbanisation Prospects. 1996 Revision. United Nations PopulationDivision. New York.

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 1999. Human Development Report1999. Oxford University Press. New York.

UNICEF. 1992. The State of the World’s Children 1992. Oxford University Press, Oxford,UK.

UNICEF. 2000. The State of the World’s Children 2000. Oxford University Press, New York,USA.

UNICEF/WHO/ICCIDD. 1999. Progress towards the Elimination of Iodine Disorders.UNICEF/WHO/ICCIDD, Geneva.

WHO. 1996. Guidelines for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the EasternMediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. (Verster A., ed.). WHO/EMRO,Alexandria, Egypt.

World Bank.1993. The World Development Report. World Bank, Washington, D.C., USA.

World Bank. 1999. The World Development Indicators 1999 CD-ROM. Win*STARS System,Version 4.0. World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Yassayi M. and F Malek. 1989. Newbornes’ vitamin A in relation to gender and birthweight.Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 35: 247-249.

References of data presented in Table 1, unless otherwise stated:

Source: Indicator:

FAOSTAT. 1999 A.1-2, B, C.10-11, E.1-3, F, G

UN. 1998 rev. C.1-9, D.5

World Bank. 1999. D.1

UNDP. 1997. D.2

Tabatabai H. 1996. D.3-4

UNICEF. 2000. D.6

FAO/WFS. 1996. H


NCP of IRANMAPS

- General map of Iran

-Map 1: Population density of Iranian provinces in 1996.

-Map 2: Moderate and severe wasting in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

-Map 3: Moderate and severe stunting in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

-Map 4: Moderate and severe underweight in Iranian children under five years old for 1998.

Documents

IRAN - Food and Agriculture Organization