Investigating the Factors Affecting the Type and amount of Edible Oil Consumed by Households in Mashhad County of Iran

Oilseeds are one of Iran's major imported items in the agricultural sector, and the per capita consumption of edible oil in the country is about twice the global per capita consumption. Therefore, considering the increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and obesity in the society, and on the other hand, the body's need for fatty acids and the necessity of using oils in cooking all kinds of food and sweets, it is necessary to determine the factors affecting the amount and type of oil used by households. In this regard, the present study was conducted in 2018 on 245 households living in Mashhad city. Sampling of the statistical population of the research was done by a simple random method and data and statistics were collected by completing the questionnaire. Data processing was also done using descriptive statistics methods as well as ordered logit and multinomial logit regression models. The results of the study showed that the variables of importance to health, education, awareness of the presence of palm and the number of family members had an effect on the type of oil consumed. According to the results of the research, the share of liquid oil in the total household oil consumption is 41 percent, and the share of local oil consumption in the household diet is estimated to be around 2.4 percent due to its high price. Despite being useful, natural oils make up only about 24 percent of the total household oil consumption. Therefore, it is suggested that the benefits of using natural and local oils compared to other oils should be explained to the society through appropriate educational and promotion programs as well as by informing consumers more.