Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

  Background and Objectives: Due to importance of income as a social determinant of health and the role of food inequality in Peoples’ health, this study tended to investigate the changes of inequality in nutritional status during 1989-2005 in urban and rural areas of Kerman province furthermore comparing of this trend with corresponding values in National level was examined.

  Materials and Methods: In this Descriptive - Analytical study we used the statistical data on household budgets for measuring food costs inequality indices (Gini and Theil). The study was conducted for both urban and rural areas of Kerman province by considering National measures STATA and SPSS Software. Were used to analyzing the data.

  Results: In general the trend of inequality measures in both urban and rural areas has been declining, but with high fluctuation. Using independent t test we found that the amount of food costs inequality between urban and rural areas are the same there was no statistically significant differences in distribustion of food costs between urban areas of Kerman province and the urban areas of the country, comparing the rural areas of Kerman province with the rural areas of country in terms of inequality showed that the only significant difference found was in Theil index (p=0.04).

  Conclusion: In this study we concluded that the trend of food costs inequality in some years has proved high value and fluctuation in both urban and rural areas of Kerman province should be considered as one of the main concerns by policy maker in order to improve nutritional security and reduce disparity in food costs between the rich and poor segments. At the end considering research findings, some recommendations have been offered.

  Key words: Gini Coefficient, Theil Measure, Inequality, Food Costs

  Funding: This research was funded by research center of Teharn University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation.

  Conflict of interest: None declared.

  Ethical approval: The Ethics committee of Teharn University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation approved this study. 

  How to cite this article : Nosratabadi M. Evalution of the Trend of Inequality in Food Costs of Kerman Province and Comparison with National Indices (1989-2005) . J Rafsanjan Univ Med Scie 2013 12(2): 115-26. [Farsi]