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2014
AI
The paper examines the intersection of health, community, and development within social psychology, highlighting the importance of integrating community contexts in health initiatives. Through various case studies, it illustrates how community perceptions and dialogues significantly affect health behaviors and access to services, particularly concerning HIV awareness and stigma. The findings suggest that a community-centric approach can enhance the effectiveness of health programs and contribute to more resilient and health-enabling communities.
BMC Nutrition
Background Undernutrition in childhood is an important factor that greatly impedes the achievement of full human potential at adulthood. Despite increased enrolment of pupils in primary schools in developing countries, short-term hunger and undernutrition continue to impact negatively on school attendance, retention and education outcomes in economically disadvantaged rural areas. This study examined the feasibility of a community-based participatory action research approach building capacity of rural women food vendors to use local food resources to produce nutritionally enhanced food products for primary school feeding in rural localities in a developing country setting. Methods Mixed methods approach incorporating focus group discussions (FGDs) to evaluate parents’ and school administrators’ perceptions of the community-based approach, participatory experimental improvement of nutritional quality of an energy-based cassava product (gari) involving community women food vendors, an...
International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 2017
Education is a process through which an individual is made capable, to attain the necessary competencies and skills, to face the challenges in life, to survive and to make the struggle for existence. The need for any change in the society is reflected in the educational system, and it is through education, that the societal needs are realized. In India, this need was recognized long back, and the first and foremost education demand after independence, was that of universal elementary education. Thus, the midday meal program was launched as a centrally sponsored program, on 15th August, 1995, by the Government of India. The mid day meal program is an effort to achieve and facilitate all the four objectives of education. The mid day meal program was started with two major objectives: firstly to enhance the child's nutrition level and secondly to provide the basic education. The present study was conducted in the rural schools of Garag village and the Yettingudda village of Dharwad district in Karnataka state and Simarddha village and Bhojla village of Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh state. A total of 120 rural school children (30 from each village), 120 parents, 40 school committee members and few teachers (based on availability), were selected randomly. Personal observation method and personal interview method were used for their opinions and to record the strengths of the mid day meal program. To know the strengths of the mid day meal program, the headcount of total children (N=120) present, at the post lunch session was taken and recorded, for assessing to the regularity of attendance. Many strengths of mid day meal program, was observed and recorded such as good quality and quantity of meal, increased attendance, enrollment and retention rate, positive attitude of teachers, parents, children and school committee members, towards mid day meal program, demand for continuation of mid day meal program, reduced stress of working mothers such as farmwomen, timely supply of food grains and cooked food, innovative model public private partnership, for implementing mid day meal programmes and many more. The Mid Day Meal program is a one such innovative program, started by GOI for betterment of the child's future. As everything have a good or bad impact, the mid day meal program may also have some bad impacts, but positive impacts or its strengths are more important, over bad impact and the weaknesses of the program may convert into strengths, by applying innovative approaches, ideas.
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada
Introduction Northern communities in Canada experience a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases including mental illness. To mitigate the growing health inequalities, an ongoing Comprehensive School Health program promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours and mental health and well-being was expanded to rural and remote northern communities. We report on the program’s impact on knowledge, attitudes, lifestyle behaviours (healthy eating, physical activity, screen time), weight status and the mental health and well-being of elementary school students during the first four years of implementation. Methods Following a repeated cross-sectional design, we surveyed 440, 352 and 384 Grade 4 to 6 students (9–12 years old) from eight schools in 2016, 2018 and 2020/21, respectively. Students were approximately equally represented by girls and boys. Results Between 2016 and 2018, students reported modest increases in vegetable and fruit consumption and dietary variety; declines in screen time...
Objective: Since 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has implemented a community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme in rural Biraul block, Bihar State, India that has admitted over 10 000 severely malnourished children but has struggled with poor coverage and default rates. With the aim of improving programme outcomes we undertook a qualitative study to understand community perceptions of childhood undernutrition, the CMAM programme and how these affected health-seeking behaviour. Design: Semi-structured and narrative interviews were undertaken with families of severely malnourished children, non-undernourished children and traditional and allopathic health-care workers. Analysis of transcripts was by qualitative content analysis. Setting: Biraul, Bihar State, India, 2010. Subjects: One hundred and fifty people were interviewed in individual or group discussions during fifty-eight interviews. Results: Undernutrition was not viewed as a disease; instead, local disease concepts were identified that described the clinical spectrum of undernutrition. These concepts informed perception, so caregivers were unlikely to consult health workers if children were 'only skinny'. Hindu and Muslim priests and other traditional health practitioners were more regularly consulted and perceived as easier to access than allopathic health facilities. Senior family members and village elders had significant influence on the health-seeking behaviour of parents of severely malnourished children. Conclusions: The results reaffirm how health education and CMAM programmes should encompass local disease concepts, beliefs and motivations to improve awareness that undernutrition is a disease and one that can be treated. CMAM is well accepted by the community; however, programmes must do better to engage communities, including traditional healers, to enable development of a holistic approach within existing social structures.
British Medical Journal, 2007
Journal of social development in Africa
This paper seeks to generate debate on the theme of factors that are critical in school feeding programmes for better results. The information used in developing the paper is derived from data that were collected from the evaluation of the CRS/Ghana Development Assistants Project (DAP Title II programme FY2004-08). The findings show that school feeding programmes have the potential to stimulate enrolment and retention of children, particularly the girl child, and to improve the academic outcomes of children depending on how the programme blends feeding with nutritional and other health needs of children on the one hand, and the nature of targeting mechanisms in order to reach deprived families and needy school children, on the other. The findings also show that the institutionalisation of structures for partner participation and capacity building enhances programme effectiveness. However, in order to sustain the benefits of improved enrolment and attendance, especially of the girl c...
2017
Back ground: The relationship between socio-economic determinants and health is well known, and it is well established particularly with respect to malnutrition. Importantly, the health of those who are at the lowest strata such as those belonging to deprived social classes and women is worst hit. Considering that women face health inequities the most, the government of India launched “Rajiv Gandhi scheme for empowerment of adolescent girls” also called as “Sabala Yojana”. Objectives: The current study attempted to understand the interplay of the socio-economic determinants, in a national programme context and explain how they influence the utilization of benefits of Sabala Yojana by adolescent girls. Methodology: The study utilized a Quantitative led qualitative mixed-methods approach. Structured questionnaire was used for quantitative data collection whereas In-depth Interview guides were used for qualitative data collection. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used for qu...
2013
School feeding programs have become a worldwide phenomenon and an agenda pushed by the International Development Agencies such as the World Food Program (WFP) with the assumption that it may contribute towards addressing barriers to poor students’ enrollment and retention in primary schools in developing countries. The assumption is that, because of hunger and low income, parents are mostly likely not motivated to send their children to school; and on the other hand, children too may not effectively concentrate in learning and therefore are likely to drop out of schools. Different studies have shown the effectiveness of the school-feeding program in increasing students’ enrollments, reducing students’ dropout and improving students’ health. However, most available studies do not show how the parents, teachers and students who are the key stakeholders of the program perceive the school feeding program in increasing students’ enrolment and reducing students drop out rate in developing...
2009
Skills-Based Health Education: There is general consensus that promising practice in SHN programming in the sub-Region involves the inclusion of a life skills component that includes HIV/AIDS in school curricula. Promoting healthy behaviors related to nutrition, sexuality and a healthy lifestyle in general is regarded as key, but providing knowledge alone is not enough; young people also need to develop the skills necessary to affect behavior change. School systems present an established and efficient means through which to reach children and adolescents with information as well as training in life skills that provide the knowledge, attitudes, and values needed to make sound health-related decisions that promote a healthy lifestyle more generally. School-Based Health and Nutrition Services: The document presents a number of promising practice examples involving the delivery of health and nutrition services to school-age children. The examples demonstrate how simple, safe and familiar health and nutrition services such as deworming or micronutrient supplements can be cost-effectively delivered through the existing network of schools to address health issues that are prevalent among the target population.
The paradigmatic shift in the past decade in our understanding of the role of health and nutrition in school-age children has fundamental implications for the design of effective programs. Improving the health and nutrition of schoolchildren through school-based programs is not a new concept. School health programs are ubiquitous in high-income countries and most middle-income countries. In low-income countries, these programs were a common feature of early, particularly colonial, education systems, where they could be characterized as heavily focused on clinical diagnosis and treatment and on elite schools in urban centers. This situation is changing as new policies and partnerships are being formulated to help ensure that programs focus on promoting health and improving the educational outcomes of children, as well as being socially progressive and specifically targeting the poor, girls, and other disadvantaged children. This evolution reflects five key changes in our understanding of the role of these programs in child development.
Public Health Nutrition, 2014
ObjectiveAs part of a larger evaluation of school nutrition programmes (SNP), the present study examined programme coordinators’ perceptions of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) regarding their SNP and public health professionals’ support.DesignQualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-two of eighty-one programme coordinators who had completed a programme evaluation survey. Interviews followed a SWOT framework to evaluate programmes and assessed coordinators’ perceptions regarding current and future partnerships with public health professionals.SettingThe study was conducted in a large, urban region within Ontario.SubjectsThe twenty-two coordinators who participated represented a cross-section of elementary, secondary, Public and Catholic schools.ResultsSNP varied enormously in foods/services offered, how they offered them and perceived needs. Major strengths included universality, the ability to reach needy students and the provision of social opportun...
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