USAID Advancing Nutrition develops, curates, packages, and shares multi-sectoral nutrition knowledge to help you stay on top of developments and evidence in global nutrition programming.
The Effects of Multiple Micronutrient Fortified Beverage and Responsive Caregiving Interventions on Early Childhood Development, Hemoglobin, and Ferritin among Infants in Rural Guatemala
Publication Date:
Early Childhood DevelopmentAnemiaInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
In an area of Guatemala with high rates of anemia and iron deficiency, a multiple micronutrient-fortified beverage improved infants’ socioemotional development. There were no intervention effects on other measures of child development, hemoglobin, or ferritin.
Targeted and Innovative Support is Helping Locally Elected Representatives in India Ensure Families Receive Support to Improve Nutrition Outcomes
Publication Date:
Capacity StrengtheningAnemiaGenderMaternal NutritionMicronutrient InterventionsWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
A new app helps locally elected officials understand the concept of optimal nutrition, learn about public welfare services, understand their role in ensuring that every household can access them, and conduct effective Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Committee meetings.
Virtual Convening on Improving Nutrition among Children with Feeding Difficulties and Children with Disabilities
Publication Date:
Early Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Nutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
This convening engaged experts working in nutrition, health, and disability programming; policy making and advocacy; and research in discussions around opportunities to improve nutritional care for children with feeding difficulties and children with disabilities.
Resources for Community Health Workers: Strengthening Nutrition Counseling through Empathetic Care
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This webinar highlights resources developed by Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria using human-centered design to help community health workers improve nutrition counseling. Speakers discuss the Infant and Young Child Feeding Image Bank and how to adapt materials to local contexts and engaged in a question-and-answer session.
Women’s Empowerment: An Essential Ingredient for Improved Nutrition in India
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderWastingAdolescent NutritionChild NutritionCOVID-19GenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionNutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Participants in this study prioritized joint decision-making between women and men about agriculture-related household assets and women’s use of improved practices to grow nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits or to fish for household consumption and sales.
Opening the Box on How Gender and Intrahousehold Dynamics Affect What South Asia Eats: Why, How, and Who
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderFood SystemsGender
To better understand why people consume the foods they do, this blog examines issues of food access, availability, and affordability; taste and preferences; power dynamics; and whose preferences matter most. It also examines how food is procured and prepared, the challenges of doing so, who decides why certain foods are consumed, and who performs food-related tasks.
Nourishing Connections: Community Health Worker Job Aid
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderGenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This booklet provides detailed activities and instructions for community health workers (CHWs) to assess caregiver nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices; listen carefully; provide compassionate counseling on child feeding through tailored discussions and problem solving; and develop an action plan.
The Relationship Between the Gendered Norm of Eating Last and Mental Health of Newly Married Women in Nepal: A Longitudinal Study
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderGender
Using women’s eating last as an indicator of women’s status in Nepal, researchers found that women who always ate last had an expected depressive symptom severity greater than women who did not eat last, regardless of household food security status.
Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women
Publication Date:
Nutrition and Health SystemsAdolescent NutritionAnemiaEmergency NutritionGenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
This report examines the current status, trends, and inequities in the nutritional status of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age, and the complex cultural, programmatic, and policy barriers they face in accessing nutritious diets, utilizing essential nutrition services, and benefiting from positive nutrition and care practices.
Learning from Health System Actor and Caregiver Experiences in Ghana and Nepal to Strengthen Growth Monitoring and Promotion
Publication Date:
Nutrition and Health SystemsGrowth Monitoring and Promotion
Growth monitoring and promotion programs do not always focus on the growth trend for the early detection of growth faltering and preventive actions. Countries should invest in service delivery (e.g., a decision-making algorithm) and demand generation (e.g., integrating this work with responsive care and early learning efforts).
Complementary and Alternative Metrics for Tracking Population-Level Trends in Child Linear Growth
Publication Date:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningChild NutritionGrowth Monitoring and PromotionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Several linear growth metrics derived from anthropometric datasets may be alternatives to or complement stunting prevalence in tracking global progress in child health and nutrition. Further research is critical to explore the real-world use of these metrics.
Antenatal Multiple Micronutrient Supplements Versus Iron-Folic Acid Supplements and Birth Outcomes: Analysis by Gestational Age Assessment Method
Publication Date:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningAnemiaMaternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
Trials performing ultrasounds for gestational age assessment found benefits of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) on low birthweight, preterm birth, and small for gestational age. These analyses strengthen the evidence for the transition from iron-folic acid supplements to MMS in antenatal care programs.
Experts discuss how to enhance data collection and identify the best sources of information, modeling methods used to derive estimates of micronutrient deficiencies and data gaps, hidden hunger among women, and priorities for action. This is a series of webinars.
Inside Look: How UNICEF is Tackling the Global Nutrition Crisis for Women and Girls
Publication Date:
Knowledge ManagementWastingAdolescent NutritionAnemiaCOVID-19Emergency NutritionGenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
A UNICEF nutrition specialist discusses breaking the cycle of malnutrition, the importance of addressing dangerous social and gender norms, the role of multiple micronutrient supplements and social protection programs in addressing malnutrition, and how addressing individual nutrition benefits society as a whole.
Building Momentum for Nutrition: Putting Proven Tools to Work
Publication Date:
Knowledge ManagementWastingAnemiaBreastfeedingCOVID-19Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient InterventionsNutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
This interactive webpage discusses challenges related to addressing nutrition, including COVID-19, climate change, and conflict. It presents cost-effective and evidence-based solutions and tools for ending severe malnutrition, discusses the goals of the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act, and highlights USAID MOMENTUM’s work in several countries.
A Decade of Progress and Action for the Future: Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths, 2023–2030
Publication Date:
Knowledge Management
This report presents successful innovations, lessons learned, and important approaches to build and sustain momentum and global commitment to improve maternal and child survival.
Webinar topics include operational effectiveness; resilience to shocks; climate change; addressing corruption, migration, and forced displacement; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; affirmative development; locally led development; and partnering for sustainability. This is a series of webinars.
The State of Food Systems Worldwide: Counting Down to 2030
Publication Date:
Food SystemsFood SystemsResilience
This paper presents the process used to construct the first global food systems baseline to track changes and underscore the importance of food systems-specific monitoring and transformation agendas. While data are available for most domains, off-farm livelihoods, food loss and waste, and governance represent critical data gaps.
Understanding the Relationship between WASH and Malnutrition: Analysis of Anthropometric Data of Children Attending WASH-Supported Schools in Ogun State, Nigeria
Publication Date:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningChild NutritionGrowth Monitoring and PromotionWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
The intervention group demonstrated lower levels of stunting and underweight but higher levels of wasting in Nigeria. Regardless of water, sanitation, and hygiene programming exposure, underweight, stunting, and wasting were significantly lower among older children. This article is behind a paywall.
Sustainable Aquatic Foods (Sea Vegetables and Bivalves) Toolkits for Chefs, Food Service Professionals, and Healthcare Professionals
Publication Date:
Food SystemsFood Systems
These evidence-based tools and resources support chefs, food service operators, leaders in consumer packaged goods, and nutrition professionals in promoting and marketing bivalves and sea vegetables.