Question

In: Psychology

Anthropology: What are the social and environmental conditions that lead to child malnutrition in malawi according...

Anthropology: What are the social and environmental conditions that lead to child malnutrition in malawi according to pattern?

Solutions

Expert Solution

  • Many researchers agree that socio-economic and environmental conditions, together with feeding practices, are important determinants of malnutrition in developing countries. Inadequate quantity and poor quality of food result in growth faltering, which is exacerbated by the high prevalence of fevers and diarrhoeal diseases. Inappropriate feeding patterns may also contribute to child malnutrition. Malnutrition is thought to be one of the factors contributing to the high level of child mortality in Malawi, where nearly one-quarter of all children die before they reach their fifth birthday.
  • The results of the 1992 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey showed that about half of under-five children were stunted and about 27% were underweight. These levels of stunting and underweight were identical to those obtained from the 1980-81 National Sample Survey of Agriculture, suggesting that levels of malnutrition have remained the same for at least a decade.
  • One possible reason for the prevailing high levels of malnutrition in Malawi is poverty, since it is estimated that about 60% of the population live below the poverty line. The results of a recent study support this, since they showed that Malawian children from higher socio-economic backgrounds had anthropometric measures that were comparable to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population.
  • The Malawian economy is largely based on agriculture, and the main exports are tobacco, tea, and sugar. About 88% of the population live in rural areas where they practise subsistence farming on small farms, using traditional labour-intensive methods. Consequently, as many as 70% of the subsistence farmers do not produce enough food.
  • The price of maize, the staple food, is high relative to wages. In 1992 the price of a bag of maize sufficient to feed an average family of about five persons for one month was between 70% and 120% of the minimum monthly wage. Breastfeeding is almost universal and is carried on for an average period of about 21 months, but complementary feeding is introduced much too early.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children under the age of four months be exclusively breastfed, but only 3% of such children were being exclusively breastfed during the 1992 Malawi and Demographic and Health Survey. The early introduction of complementary food is undesirable, particularly in a developing country such as Malawi, since the typical weaning food is of poorer quality than breastmilk and may be contaminated.
  • The major diseases of children in Malawi are malaria, diarrhoea, and respiratory diseases, particularly pneumonia. Illness affects the nutritional status of children, since it depresses a child’s appetite and reduces the absorption of nutrients, but increases the energy requirement. In addition, nutrients are lost through vomiting or diarrhoea.
  • On the other hand, it can be argued that undernourished children are more prone to infection, so that the relationship between infection and malnourishment goes in a vicious cycle.

Related Solutions

5. Evaluate the social challenges created by the “one-child” policy that lead to the launch of...
5. Evaluate the social challenges created by the “one-child” policy that lead to the launch of “two-child” policy a. About social health system in one child policy. Explain b. Pros and cons of social health system in one child policy. Explain (at least 800 words with clear headings)
Describe some social conditions within the office that can lead to a high -fraud environments?
Describe some social conditions within the office that can lead to a high -fraud environments?
What is SIDS and what conditions are more conducive to a child experiencing SIDS?
What is SIDS and what conditions are more conducive to a child experiencing SIDS?
What are the conditions characterizing the social planner’s solution?
What are the conditions characterizing the social planner’s solution?
What is dehydration? What are some conditions that may lead to dehydration? What are the signs...
What is dehydration? What are some conditions that may lead to dehydration? What are the signs and symptoms that an adult patient would exhibit?
In what ways does poverty lead to environmental decay? In what way are the poor victims...
In what ways does poverty lead to environmental decay? In what way are the poor victims and agents of environmental degradation? What should be done to remedy this problem?
Under what conditions are generalization favored overspecialization and vice versa. Explain why those conditions lead to...
Under what conditions are generalization favored overspecialization and vice versa. Explain why those conditions lead to specialization or generalization. For each of the animals below, tell me the ways they are likely to avoid predation of themselves or their offspring. There can be multiple answers per species. Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica) Blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena spp.) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) Five-lined skink (Plestiodon faciatus)
Under what conditions are generalization favored overspecialization and vice versa. Explain why those conditions lead to...
Under what conditions are generalization favored overspecialization and vice versa. Explain why those conditions lead to specialization or generalization. For each of the animals below, tell me the ways they are likely to avoid predation of themselves or their offspring (tactics that may be employed to deter predators, camouflage techniques, behavioral techniques/postures, etc.).  There can be multiple answers per species. You’ll have to use your web skills to look these up! Put some thought into it! Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)...
What are the factors responsible for tides? Describe the conditions that lead to neap and spring...
What are the factors responsible for tides? Describe the conditions that lead to neap and spring tides
What can happen to medications if exposed to the following environmental conditions and how to overcome...
What can happen to medications if exposed to the following environmental conditions and how to overcome the stability problem? Norepinephrine injection exposed to light ketoconazole cream exposed to high temperature Ibuprofen tablet exposed to moisture Paracetamol suppository exposed to high temperature .How to store the Norepinephrine injection and give your counseling to patient?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT