ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR NUTRITION DATA COLLECTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

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ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR NUTRITION DATA
COLLECTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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Aspects Covered

• Field Research In Developing Countries
• Purpose
• Conditions
• Challenges
• Adapting Tools for Nutrition Field Research
• Tools Tested

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Purpose of Field Research

• To Learn Community Practices
• Agriculture,
• Nutrition, Child rearing, etc
• Identify Community Needs
• Felt Needs
• Unfelt Needs

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Purpose of Field Research

• Identified Practices Could Be
• Positive to be encouraged
• Harmful to be discouraged through education

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Enablers of Field Research

• Resources/ Researchers Side
• Expertise
• Time
• Budget, etc
• Resources/ Community Side
• Acceptance
• Time
• Literacy level, etc.

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Field Research Challenges for Nutrition Educators

• Limited Services
• Telephone Survey
• Questionnaire
• Email
• Literacy Level
• Food Records
• Food Frequencies
• Diminishing Food Resources

Not applicable
Questionable
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What Alternatives Are There?
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The Challenge for Nutrition Profession

• To Respond to Household Needs
• In Special Way that Balances

Current Knowledge
Indigenous Skills
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Adapting Methods for Nutrition Field Research

• Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
• Focuses on full participation of a given
  community in studying community needs, planning,
  implementing and assessing intervention impacts.

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PRA Guidelines

• Respect/ Humility
• Complete Ignorance
• Diversity of Analysis
• Continuity

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Adaptable Techniques

• . Mapping
• . Transect Walk
• . Individual Case Studies
• . Seasonality Analysis
• . Ranking and Scoring
• . Historical Profiles

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Adaptable PRA Techniques for Nutrition Field
Research

• Mapping
• Method for Visual Representation of Study Area
• Drawn by Study Participants
• Practical Entry Point for Discussion
• Helps to Explore Community Resources

• Example
• Ask participants to locate related places
• How does distance affect food intake?
• What do participants recommend?

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Maps
Study Area
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Transect Walk

• A systematic walk in a study area with key
  informants.

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Individual Case Studies

• In-depth Study of
• Individuals
• Nutritional practices
• Farming Systems,
• Etc.

• Example for Nutrition

Why are some children healthy while some are not,
given the same living situations?
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Seasonality Analysis

• Helps to assess
• Opportunities affecting living situations
• Seasonal Constraints

• Examples for Nutrition Use

• Market Food Prices
• Food Availability
• Labor Demand
• Income
• Expenditure
• Disease Incidences
• Daily Routines

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Ranking Scoring

• Method for Identifying
• Preferences
• Local criteria's
• Related Techniques
• Wealth Ranking
• Proportional Pilling

• Examples for Nutrition Use

• Choices b/t food groups
• Food distribution
• Food Expenses
• Selection of risk groups
• Identifying priority areas, etc

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Wealth Ranking - Cattle
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Historical Profiles

• A detailed account of the past.
• Indicates
• Trends
• Relationships
• Changes over time
• Note elderly groups are good resources.
• Casual free conversation

• Example for Nutrition Use
• Indicates
• Changes of food consumption patterns
• Factors for such changes
• Are the changes positive or negative?
• Possible solution/ Suggestions

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Means For Reducing Possible Bias

• Acknowledge bias will be there, but try to
  minimize it!
• Possible Bias
• Frame related
• Old listing ( Missing, or foreign elements)
• Wealth ranking bias
• Instrument related (check list, items for
  ranking, seasonality analysis)
• Interviewer bias

• Cross check listing
• Adequate discussion
• Watch for sizes/uniformity
• Provide training
• Explain purpose

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Assumptions

• Instrument developed enabled to get the right
  information
• Training interviewing process has enabled to
  control possible biases

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Assumptions

• Wealth classification is realistic to local
  situation.
• Participants have given realistic answers.

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Thank you