Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
The “expanded MUAC-only” approach is being used in acute malnutrition programming, with a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of <125mm as the only measurement for screening and admission for treatment. This study explored the impact of the approach on eligibility for treatment and access to ready-to-use therapeutic foods. The results showed that 25 percent of all severe acute malnutrition cases would be undiagnosable with this measure; a further 20 percent would be misreported as moderate acute malnutrition.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
With nearly 50 million children under 5 years of age wasted, more research is needed on effective interventions. To help identify and prioritize the most important outstanding research questions in this area, the authors conducted a research prioritization exercise using the “Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative” method. They compiled lists of research gaps from multiple sources, categorized them into themes, and used an expert group to identify and rank the 40 most critical questions.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
This study used a virtual supermarket to emulate different food price and subsidy scenarios and determine the effect of price changes on the consumer's total food basket.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
This study examined endline survey data from intervention evaluations in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam to assess how different combinations of social and behavior change communication interventions and varying levels of exposure to the interventions affected infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. The authors found that 1) the level of exposure to interventions mattered, but the effects varied among mothers across the three countries, and 2) the combination of interventions required to achieve IYCF behavior change was context specific.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
It is important to optimize infant and young child feeding (IYCF), especially in the first 2 years of life, if a child is to develop to his or her full potential. Researchers conducted this study to assess IYCF practices among mothers with children under 24 months of age in Burayu Town, Ethiopia. The authors concluded that while breastfeeding counseling had a positive impact on IYCF practices, there is room for improvement in feeding practices during and after times of common childhood illnesses.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
This presentation by Dr. Carol Underwood of Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs provides a look into the social determinants of health, ranging from economic opportunity to crime rates, and what affects change in those determinants. Dr. Underwood discusses the great impact that structural change could have on health inequality and how the largest possible impact starts with interventions that alter socioeconomic factors.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
The Social Norms Exploration Tool, also referred to as SNET, is a learning and action tool that helps programs understand a community’s social norms by conducting a social norms exploration. It guides users through five phases from “planning and preparing” to “applying your findings.” It includes useful activities and case studies pertaining to health that facilitate discussions between program teams and community members. Findings can help programs design norms-shifting activities and norms-focused evaluation tools.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
Collaborative program evaluations using randomized controlled trials, among other methods, can provide substantive insight into nutrition behavior change interventions. This paper describes lessons learned from efforts led by the Alive & Thrive global nutrition initiative. Evaluations conducted in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, among other countries, are the basis for a wealth of information about large-scale behavior change interventions delivered through diverse platforms including government health systems, community-based platforms, and mass media.
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Feeding the world’s population with safe and nutritious food means we must overcome ever-evolving challenges through innovative research.
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Resource Review
This paper aims to quantify the link between price and dietary indicators and nutrition outcomes. Pulling from existing databases, it determines the relative caloric prices for foods across different categories, such as animal source foods and starchy staples, in 176 countries.