Community-based Longitudinal Nutrition and Health Studies: Classical Examples from Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico

Editor: Nevin S. Scrimshaw

Dedicated to John E. Gordon (1890-1983), pioneer in longitudinal community-based nutrition and health studies

ISBN Number: 0-9635522-6-0

Community-Based Longitudinal Nutrition and Health Studies:

Classical Examples from Guatemala, Haiti, and Mexico

There is no substitute for longitudinal community-based studies to identify the multiple causative factors and the functional consequences of disease in a population. Unlike clinical trials, they probe for the host, agent, and environmental factors responsible for disease and suggest health related behavior that can reduce or eliminate the disease burden studies. Yet such studies are so difficult and costly to organize and sustain that relatively concisely five classical nutrition oriented field studies, one in Mexico, three in Guatemala and one in Haiti. For students they illustrate the steps involved in designing, implementing, and interpreting longitudinal, community-based health studies. Health professionals at all levels will benefit from the insights into developing preventive measures and evaluating their effectiveness.

International Nutrition Foundation for Developing Countries (INFDC)

Charles Street station, P.O. Box 500
Boston, MA 02114-0500 USA
Telephone (617) 227-8747
Fax (617) 227-9405
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E-mail UNUCPO@INF.UNU.EDU

The digitalization of this publication was made possible by a grant from the Nestlé Foundation

Contents

Contributors to this volume

Preface

Reference

Introduction

References

1. A comparison of supplementary feeding and medical care of preschool children in Guatemala, 1959-1964

Introduction
Experimental design (I: Scrimshaw et al., 1967a)
Results
Collateral studies
Discussion of results
Medical, social, and public health benefits of the study
References
Notes

2. The Santa María Cauqué study: Health and survival of Mayan Indians under deprivation, Guatemala

Introduction
Methodology
Main results
Interventions in Santa María Cauqué
Determinants of health
Concluding comment
Acknowledgments
References
Notes

3. The effect of malnutrition on human development

Introduction: Chronic malnutrition
A poor village: Its reality and problems
The longitudinal intervention study: Design and implementation
The first eight months of life
The "valley of death" between 8 and 20 months
The preschool survivor and the nutritional crisis at school entrance
The teenager who was malnourished as a child
Comments: Nutrition in the life cycle and social development
References
Notes

4. The INCAP longitudinal study (1969-1977) and its follow-up (1988-1989): An overview of results

Introduction
The INCAP longitudinal study (1969-1977)
Guatemalan follow-up study (1987-1988)
Concluding remarks
Acknowledgments
References
Notes

5. A prospective study of community health and nutrition in rural Haiti from 1968 to 1993

Introduction
Background on Haiti
Materials and methods
Results
Discussion
Acknowledgements
References
Bibliography
Notes