Research Center for Social Determinants of Health
Research priorities of the center
• Investigating the background, social structures and effective policies on controlling obesity and metabolic disorders
• Examining behavioral and lifestyle patterns underlying obesity and metabolic disorders
• Examining the physical environment affecting behavioral and lifestyle patterns underlying obesity and metabolic disorders, including the characteristics of the place of residence, work environment, air quality, transportation, traffic, and food security.
• Investigating psycho-social factors affecting behavioral and lifestyle patterns underlying obesity and metabolic disorders, including anxiety, stress, depression, body image, social support, social capital, social readiness, social solidarity and social vitality.
• Investigating the effectiveness of interventions to modify lifestyles underlying obesity and metabolic disorders and to improve self-care and quality of life.
• Introduction and localization of tools for measuring social factors affecting obesity and metabolic disorders and related lifestyles.
Important activities
- Collaboration in joint projects with the WHO, UNICEF, on childhood obesity management.
- Establishment of a data bank covering the social, mental and spiritual aspects of health in relation to individuals’ cardio-metabolic risk (the framework of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study).
- Conducting qualitative investigations to identify socio-environmental determinants of obesity and diabetes in local and national levels.
- Conducting community-based lifestyle interventions to prevent obesity and metabolic disorders.
- Collaboration in developing evidence-based policy briefs to control obesity and metabolic disorders in vulnerable groups.
- Developing and validating specific tools to improve measuring the main determinants and outcomes in relation to lifestyle, obesity and metabolic disorders