Faezeh Aghadavoudian, Ariyo Movahedi, Sara Sarrafi Zadeh,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (1-2025)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Food insecurity, defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate and nutritious foods, includes negative effects on physical and mental health. Tension-type headache, the most common form of primary headache, can significantly affect individuals' quality of life. The two factors are linked to socioeconomic status.
Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and incidence of tension-type headaches in employees of Isfahan Steel Industry, Isfahan, Iran.
Results: Findings showed that employees with a bachelor's degree or lower, less than 7 h of sleep, consumption of less than the recommended quantity of the meat and legumes group (5.5 U/d) and lower food security were further likely to experience tension-type headaches (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified food insecurity as the strongest predictor of tension-type headaches.
Conclusions: Improving food security, increasing educational attainment and ensuring adequate sleep may help decrease the incidence of tension-type headaches. Additionally, maintaining balanced consumption of food groups, especially meats and legumes, could decrease the occurrence of tension-type headaches. Further prospective studies are necessary to investigate the causal relationships between food security and tension-type headaches.
