The public health topic that I chose is nutrition/malnutrition. I chose this topic because there was a time in my life, after both my husband and I were laid off, when we struggled to buy food and when we had barely any food at all. At that time, we had to go to the local food box where we could buy a lot of food for very little money. When you can barely afford to buy food, you learn to settle for what you can get. Unfortunately, the cheap food is usually high in fat and low in nutritional value.
I chose to research nutrition/malnutrition in Guatemala. According to the World Food Programme (2012), "the undernutrition rate for children under 5 is 49.8%" (para. 1). Additionally, Guatemala has the 4th highest percentage in the world of children suffering from malnutrition. Poverty, drought, natural disasters, and low taxes have also contributed to the problem. More than half of the population of Guatemala live in poverty and "around 16 percent live in extreme poverty" (Nyobo, 2012, para. 11). The malnutrition of children in Guatemala has caused stunted growth and lower IQ's.
This information may impact my future work by making me aware of the problem of malnutrition among child. Specifically, if I think that a student of mine is suffering from malnutrition, I will offer any help that I can to them and their family. For example, I would make sure that there are resources out there to help them such as food stamps or food boxes.
Nyobo, T. (2009, February 18). Fighting chronic malnutrition among impoverished children in Guatemala. UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_48087.html.
World Food Programme: Fighting Hunger Worldwide (2012, November 29). Guatemala. Retrieved from http://www.wfp.org/countries/guatemala/overview
I had the opportunity to volunteer at a food bank this past year. I was really shocked to find out that there was a lot of malnutrition with children in Oklahoma where I previously lived. Most of them lived in rural areas. And one of the reasons why was the affordability of healthy foods. Many working under paid parents are consumed with not just providing food, but shelter etc. so they purchase what they can afford. Furthermore some of them don't qualify for food stamps. All I can say is wow. But I am happy about some of the programs that are in effect to try and make sure children are being properly fed. Back packs going home on the weekend with healthy sacks was impressive because it shows families that they do matter. It also allows them to keep their dignity because the back packs go home to everyone.
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