Chapter 8 - Nutrition and Global Health

7. What are the most important micronutrient deficiencies and what health problems do they cause?

-Vitamin A -Iodine -Iron -Zinc -Folic Acid -Calcium

What needs to happen in order for an infant/young child to stay healthy?

-breastfeeding for 6 months -family provides an adequate diet and protects against illnesses(6 nutrients)

What are some underlying causes for inadequate dietary intake and illness?

-inadequate access to food -insufficient health services and an unhealthful environment -inadequate care for children and women

What are the 2 immediate causes on undernutrition?

-inadequate dietary intake and illness

3. What are some of the direct and indirect causes of undernutrition?

-inadequate dietary intake, illness, inadequate access to food, poor health services and environment, inadequate care for women and children

What are the nutritional needs of an unborn baby?

-mother eats more calories, as well as the 6 important nutrients

Addressing nutrition problems of all types will require action in what 3 domains?

-nutrition specific -nutrition sensitive -areas related to the enabling environment for nutrition

What does UNICEF call the basic causes?

-socioeconomic status -family income -the level of knowledge people have of appropriate health and nutritional practices -the amount of control people have over their lives

What percent of the world's population is obese or overweight?

30%

What percent of under-5 child deaths per year can be attributed to nutrition related causes?

45%

Where can the highest rates of child and adolescent obesity be seen?

Middle East and North Africa

Which region has the highest rate of wasting? Second highest?

South-East Asia Africa, Eastern Mediterranean

2. What are stunting and wasting?

Stunting - failure to reach linear growth potential because of inadequate nutrition or poor health - two z scores below the height-age international reference -Wasting - weight, in kilograms, divided by height in meters squared, that is two z scores below the international reference

10. What parts of the world have the worst nutritional problems?

Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa, South-East Asia, South Asia, Eastern Mediterranean

What does iron deficiency cause?

anemia, maternal morbidity and mortality, stunting, and poor mental development

what is considered low birthweight?

below 2500 grams

4. What are some of the direct and indirect causes of overweight and obesity?

increase in energy intake with a decrease in energy spent, cultural and genetic factors, global and financial trade liberation, increased income and socioeconomic status(economic growth), and urbanization

Do high or low-middle income countries carry the most burden of obesity and chronic disease?

low-middle

What does Vitamin A deficiency cause?

vision problems, poor immunity and child growth

8. Why is anemia a special risk in pregnancy?

women who are anemic might give birth to a premature or low birthweight baby, or may hemorrhage and die during childbirth

How does obesity and overweight affect society and economic development?

-put people at risk for disease and death, so they trap families in cycles of poverty -countries spend a lot of money treating obesity-related diseases, which can slow economic growth -slows worker productivity -can impact mental health, which is dangerous for children's academic performance, so they won't get a good job and earn money

13. What are some of the most important cost-effective interventions that could be made to address overweight and obesity?

-reduce salt intake through labeling, limits, taxes, and individual action to read labels and make smarter choices -replace trans fat with polyunsaturated fat through bans on trans fat, incentives for production of healthier fats, and individual action to read labels and make smarter choices -increase public awareness through media on diet and physical activity -provide counseling and multi drug therapy for people at risk of heart attack and stroke -treat heat attacks with aspirin

What is the country with the highest proportion of obese people?

United States

12. What are some of the most important cost-effective interventions that could be made to address undernutrition in under-5 children?

-ensure pregnant women are well nourished and have micronutrients -promote breastfeeding until 6 months -encourage people to give appropriate complementary foods to infants starting at 6 moths -use supplementation and fortification programs -fight infection and illness through better hygiene -focus on South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

How many people in the world suffer from energy and protein malnutrition and deficiencies in key micronutrients? What is the reason for this?

1 billion -lack of income to buy enough food or food of appropriate quality - also related to culture, customs, and eating behaviors

What regions have the highest rates of deficiency of Vitamin A, zinc and iron?

Africa and Asia

What country created mega-events like holidays to promote physical activity?

Brazil

What region has the highest rate of low birthweight? Second highest?

South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa

6. How are growth charts used to gauge nutrition status?

The charts are standardized internationally. The child is measured and weighed, then placed on the chart. The placement of the child on the growth curves shows how well they are growing compared to the international reference standard.

What is the window to make sure a child is well nourished and will develop properly? (Damage in this period is irreversible)

conception to 2 years

Is overweight or underweight responsible for more deaths globally and in high-middle income countries?

overweight

5. What are the links between nutrition and health?

people need to take in enough energy and micronutrients in order to fulfill their physiological needs

What does Zinc deficiency cause?

poor immunity, poor growth, poor development of cognitive and motor abilities

undernutrition

the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases

What is the leading risk factor for death in under-5 children globally? The second leading?

-childhood underweight -suboptimal breastfeeding

What is the nutritional state of the world as far as Undernutrition?

-the rates of underweight have fallen, micronutrient deficiencies have decreased, more children have vitamin A supplements -however, nutritional problems are still a big issue for infants, children, and pregnant women

Which region has the highest rate of stunting? Second highest?

Africa South-East Asia

What country reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease by reducing sodium consumption through product labeling?

Finland

What country gave 2 different dietary supplements to children to gauge the impact on schooling, adult intellectual functioning, child birthweight, and individual productivity?

Guatemala

Overall, how can a country increase their economic development?

Improve nutrition

1. What is the importance of nutrition to the MDG's?

It is related to almost all of the goals, so none of the goals can be met without improvements in nutrition. -Whether people are hungry and poor are very closely related to nutrition -Children cannot achieve education if they are not well nourished -45% of child deaths are related to nutrition, so the mortality goal cannot be met without improvements in nutrition

What country fortified food, such as oils, with vitamin A within 130 days and increased trust between private and public sectors?

Kenya

11. What are the links between nutrition and economic development?

Maternal Health - if women die during pregnancy their family is put in a financial strain Child Development - if children are not well nourished they will not develop properly or be able to go to/learn at school - may drop out and not be able to earn a good living Productivity - people who are poorly nourished are not as productive, and get sick more often and miss work Life Expectancy - people who are poorly nourished don't live as long and can't contribute to the economy for as long

What country addressed micronutrient deficiencies, such as anemia in pregnant women, by distributing Vitamin A tablets, deworming, and fortifying foods?

Nepal

What country kept obesity and chronic disease rates down by encouraging a traditional diet?

South Korea

What does Folic Acid deficiency cause?

birth defects in children

What is something older adults need to make sure they get?

calcium

9. Why is exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months so important?

effects of nutritional deficiencies during this time cannot be reversed, and a child's nutritional status faces risks when they stop breastfeeding

What does Calcium deficiency cause?

hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

What do adolescents(especially girls) need to be healthy?

the 6 nutrients

What does Iodine deficiency cause?

thyroid problems, goiter, deficits in mental abilities, child growth

what is consider underweight?

two z-scores below the international reference weight-for-age