Nutritional Transition

La participación social como estrategia central de la nutrición comunitaria para afrontar los retos asociados a la transición nutricional

by José Carlos Suárez-Herrera

Suárez-Herrera, J. C., Serra-Majem, L., & O’Shanahan, J. J. (2009). La participación social como estrategia central de la nutrición comunitaria para afrontar los retos asociados a la transición nutricional. Revista Española de Salud Pública, 83(6), 791-803.

In last decades modern societies are undergoing a rapid nutrition transition process that reinforces, at international... more In last decades modern societies are undergoing a rapid nutrition transition process that reinforces, at international level, the emergence of nutritional problems of contradictory nature, such as malnutrition and obesity. This represents a considerable challenge for contemporary Public Health leaders, who have been gradually developing a set of strategies which overwhelmingly adopt a population perspective. Nevertheless, the collective nature of these strategies could neglect the particular individual and family needs.

We consider social participation as an approach to simultaneously reinforce both individual and population perspectives during the divers phases of development of Community Nutrition programs which tackle the paradoxical nature of this problematic. However in relation to some contextual factors, we find a growing trend to develop a more technocratic dimension of participatory practices, which distorts the emancipator and transformative potential of social participation.

In order to avoid this tendency, we propose the use of the five intervention axes of the Ottawa Chart for Health Promotion as a guide for a systemic integration of social participation in planning, implementation and evaluation processes of community Nutrition programs. We therefore take into account the integration of social participation in the efforts made in developing individual capacitybuilding, reinforcing collective action, creating enabling environments, health care reorganization, and finally, implementing nutritional and public health policies.

Globalización, transición nutricional y desarrollo social de los países en vías de desarrollo

by José Carlos Suárez-Herrera

Suárez-Herrera, J. C., & Delisle, H. (2006). Globalización, transición nutricional y desarrollo social de los países en vías de desarrollo. Dans : LL. Serra-Majem, J. Aranceta, & J. Mataix, (eds.). Nutrición y Salud Pública (2a edición) (pp. 801-815). Barcelona: Masson.

A través del presente capítulo pretendemos desarrollar, en un principio, un breve análisis de algunos de los... more A través del presente capítulo pretendemos desarrollar, en un principio, un breve análisis de algunos de los principales factores relacionados con los problemas alimentarios y nutricionales a nivel internacional, tales como los desafíos actuales de la humanidad en materia de derechos humanos, salud y nutrición, la influencia de la globalización como fenómeno de orden mundial sobre la salud y el estado nutricional de las poblaciones, y la transición nutricional, relativamente reciente, que favorece la aparición simultánea en los PVD de problemas nutricionales de diferente índole en un mismo hogar.

Posteriormente, exponemos una breve revisión crítica de la eficacia de los programas de intervención nutricional vigentes en ese grupo de países, señalando las principales estrategias y tendencias actuales en materia de nutrición comunitaria así como los principios fundamentales que, a nuestro juicio, podrían ser considerados a la hora de diseñar, poner en marcha, desarrollar y evaluar toda intervención nutricional, desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria y multisectorial.

Concluimos el manuscrito desde un punto de vista global, subrayando la importancia de establecer vínculos entre la salud, la nutrición y el bienestar de las poblaciones y las estrategias internacionales de desarrollo social sostenible. No es producto del azar, que la mayor parte de los responsables de la Ayuda Internacional (AI) están francamente convencidos de que el hecho de considerar la salud y la nutrición como una prioridad en los presupuestos generales del estado, es una estrategia eficaz de desarrollo global.

Changes in the nutritional status of Bolivian women 1994–1998: demographic and social predictors

by Federico Jose Armando Perez-Cueto Eulert

citation: Pérez-Cueto FJ, Kolsteren PW. Changes in the nutritional status of Bolivian women 1994-1998: demographic and social predictors. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;58(4):660-6.

Abstract:
Introduction: Bolivia, as one of the poorest Latin American countries, has dealt with the problems of... more Abstract:
Introduction: Bolivia, as one of the poorest Latin American countries, has dealt with the problems of undernutrition for the last 50 y. Little importance has been given to the increase in overweight and obesity among the population, despite the scientific evidence linking overweight and obesity with mortality and morbidity.
Objective: To describe the social and demographic determinants of the nutritional status among women in Bolivia between 1989 and 1998 to gain a better understanding of the nutrition transition phenomena and to identify urgent research needs.
Methodology: Secondary analysis of the raw data of the Bolivian National Demographic and Health Surveys of 1994 and 1998. Changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity and overweight are described by sociodemographic characteristics of Bolivian women. Social and demographic determinants of nutritional status have been fitted into a logistic model.
Results: The prevalence of overweight (defined as 25<or=BMI<30 kg/m2) among women of reproductive age (20–44 y) increased by 9 percentage points between 1994 and 1998 (P<0.001), while the prevalence of normal BMI decreased by 10 percentage points (P<0.001). The decrease in the prevalence of underweight (defined as BMI <18.5 kg/m2) from 2.4% in 1994 to less than 1% in 1998 was statistically significant (P<0.001). Obesity (defined as BMI >or=30 kg/m2) was positively associated with geographical region (P=0.001), educational level (P<0.001), age (P=0.003) and total number of children (P=0.001) and negatively associated to rural locality (P=0.001) and native languages (P<0.001). Overweight was inversely associated with rural locality (P=0.013) and with Quechua language (P=0.04), while the total number of children (P<0.001) and year of survey (P<0.001) were positively associated. Underweight decreased dramatically (P<0.001), being positively associated with the region of residence (P=0.04) and inversely associated with the total number of children (P=0.006).
Conclusion: The present study suggests that the population of Bolivia is in a transitional stage, with overweight becoming as much of a problem as undernutrition.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2004) 58, 660–666. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601862

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DIET CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS FROM THE RURAL LOCALITY CALAMA, BOLIVIA

by Federico Jose Armando Perez-Cueto Eulert

In 2003 a pilot study was carried out in the rural area of the Bolivian Department of La Paz aiming at the... more In 2003 a pilot study was carried out in the rural area of the Bolivian Department of La Paz aiming at the identification of dietary patterns among a group of secondary school adolescents who have little or scarce contact with the urban centres. The study consisted of a food intake survey (24 h recall), the measurement of anthropometrics and sociodemographic information. Nine percent was the global prevalence of overweight, although it was more present in girls. No statistically significant differences were found between nutrients in the diets of boys and girls. The energy intake was distributed in the five usual eating times as follows: 22% breakfast, 20% break time at school, 24% lunch, 12% tea time and 22% dinner. Furthermore, the anthropometric measures of boys were compared with their urban counterparts, where the differences were only significant with students in private schools. The present study can be used for the formulation of nutritional policies in Bolivia.

nutrition transition and dietary energy availability in Eastern Europe after the collapse of communism

by Stanley Ulijaszek