BASIC OF NUTRITION EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

Definition and scope of epidemiology , Health and Nutritional epidemiology

· Determinants of MCH & indicators commonly used to track maternal/ child health &

nutrition

· Definitions of commonly used epidemiological indicators like Crude death rate, IMR, U5

MR, Birth rate, Fertility rate, , Maternal mortality rate/ratio etc..

· Disease frequency, causes and prevention - population at risk, Incidence and its

comparison.

· Epidemiological Methods and Types

a. Observational, Experimental, and Potential errors.

b. Case fatality, Mortality.

· Status of maternal & child nutrition/health as per latest surveys

· Prevalence and utilization rates of key indicators/interventions for women, children,

adolescence: globally and in India;

· Studying the progress of key indicators of vulnerable age groups based on disaggregated

data rural vs urban, male vs female, SC, ST, OBC and Wealth quintiles. (NNMB, SRS,

DLHS,CES, MICS,NFHS I, II and III data) and calculating per annum

progress/deterioration.

· Vital statistics and Causes of IMR, NMR, MMR, Under 5 Mortality rates & its

relationship with nutrition.

· Emergence of evidence based interventions for improving Maternal and Child Health and

Nutrition from global and National epidemiological data base.

Status of micronutrient deficiencies in mothers and children as per latest surveys

· Prevalence and utilization rates of key indicators/interventions to improve micronutrient

deficiencies for women, children, adolescence: globally and in India;

· Studying the progress of key indicators of vulnerable age groups based on disaggregated

data rural vs urban, male vs female, SC, ST, OBC and Wealth quintiles. (NNMB, SRS,

DLHS,CES, MICS,NFHS I, II and III data) and calculating per annum

progress/deterioration.

· Vital statistics and Causes of IMR, NMR, MMR, Under 5 Mortality rates & its relationship

with nutrition.

· Emergence of evidence based interventions for improving Maternal and Child Health and

Nutrition from global and National epidemiological data base.

Definition and Application of the Discipline of Anthropology as applied to:

a. Health and Disease

b. Nutrition and Nutritional status

· Historical development of Nutritional Anthropology: Evolution from a biomedical to a socio

cultural view of nutrition.

· Emic vs Etic Perspective.

· Factors Affecting Food choices and household level practices

a. Ecological and Geographical

b. Poverty, economic status

c. Socio cultural; education, ethnic and religious factors.

d. Sensory Qualities of Foods and culture

e. Girl child and women

f. Intra Household Distribution of Food

Community beliefs about cause prevention and treatment of under nutrition and micro

nutrient deficiencies (PEM,IDA, VAD, IDD ) in children and women in developed and

developing countries.

· Ethno-physiology: cultural perceptions of body physiology in different stages of the life

cycle (child, adolescent, adult) and its impact on home level nutrition and health care.

· Comparing rural vs urban differences as regards :

a. Time and activity patterns; workload of men and women and its impact on food intake

and nutritional status (especially vulnerable groups)

b. Health care seeking behaviors – treatment of illness.

c. Complementary feeding and breast feeding practices; family support.

d. Seasonal variations in malnutrition and morbidity.