To evaluate the implementation of the national health promotion programme (through nutritional education and Fe supplementation) among female high-school students in Iran and to assess the application of the crosswise model (CM) for evaluating the programme’s implementation.

Two cross-sectional surveys in female high-school students, one using the direct questioning (DQ) method and the other using the CM, were conducted. Two survey questionnaires used to collect the data contained questions about three aspects of the programme: delivering the Fe supplements, consuming them and holding nutritional training sessions.

Female high schools, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

A sample of 2180 students, of whom 1740 were surveyed by the CM and 440 were interviewed by DQ.

The CM resulted in estimates that were consistently lower than the estimates of the DQ. The proportion of students in the DQ and CM who reported receiving the pills weekly and on a regular basis was 73·2 and 22·5 %, respectively. About 43 and 31 % of students in the DQ and CM surveys reported consuming all pills delivered to them. In the DQ method, only 12 % of students who reported the number of pills consumed had taken the complete dose (sixteen pills).

Implementation of the Fe supplementation programme in female high schools was poor and insufficient, so that it seems unsuccessful in reducing Fe-deficiency anaemia in adolescent girls. The CM might be considered for evaluating the health programme’s implementation at high schools.

Low iodine intakes are associated with goitre and other iodine-deficiency disorders (IDD) that have affected billions of people worldwide. We aimed to assess total goitre rate (TGR) and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in schoolchildren between 2007 and 2015, percentage of iodized salt consumption by households, and salt iodine content at production, distribution and household levels in north-west Iran.

UIC assessed among schoolchildren in nine consecutive years; 240 schoolchildren aged 8–10 years selected by systematic random sampling each year in the West Azerbaijan Province.

Median UIC was >100 μg/l in all years. More than 50 % of children had iodine deficiency (UIC≤99 μg/l) in 2010 and 2011, while this rate was approximately 15–35 % in other years. Proportion with UIC below 50 μg/l was <20 % in all years except 2010 and 2011. Excessive UIC (≥300 μg/l) rate was between 5·4 and 27·5 %. TGR decreased from 44 % in 1996 to 7·6 % and 0·4 % in 2001 and 2007, respectively. Regular surveys from 2002 to 2015 showed that 98 % or more of households consumed iodized salt. Iodine level ≥20 ppm was observed in 87·5, 83 and 73 % of salt at production, distribution and household level, respectively (data from national study in 2007). The last national study in 2014 showed that median iodine level in household salt was 27 ppm.

Our focused data suggest that the universal salt iodization programme is improving the iodine status of schoolchildren in the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Reduction of TGR to less than 5 % in schoolchildren indicates successful elimination of IDD as a major public health problem.

To identify major dietary patterns and their association with socio-economic status (SES) and food insecurity in two major ethnic groups living in Urmia, north-west Iran.

A cross-sectional study.

All four geographical zones of Urmia city.

Participants (n 723; 427 women and 296 men), aged 20–64 years, from two ethnic groups (445 Azeri Turks and 278 Kurds).

Three major dietary patterns were extracted: ‘Traditional High SES’ (THS), ‘Traditional Low SES’ (TLS) and ‘Transitional’. After adjusting for confounders, the THS pattern was positively associated with education level and negatively associated with moderate or severe food insecurity in Azeri Turks; whereas, among Kurds, it was more common in women and positively associated with age. The TLS pattern was more common among men and negatively associated with educational level and all levels of food insecurity in Azeris; while, among Kurds, it was more common among men, positively associated with being married and negatively associated with household income/capita. The ‘Transitional’ pattern was positively associated with being employed and negatively associated with age and all levels of food insecurity in Azeris; while, among Kurds, it was more common among men and negatively associated with age, being married and physical activity level.

Findings suggest that household SES and food insecurity are associated with detrimental dietary patterns and that this effect may be stronger than cultural and ethnic background. These patterns differ by age and gender. Therefore, such characteristics should be considered in planning and formulating diet-related policies and programmes.