User:Zooshoe/sandbox

Summarizing and Synthesizing

***PEER REVIEWERS***

Below you will find the two articles and subsequent topics, I am working on. For clarity, the articles are: Malnutrition and Malnutrition in India. For Malnutrition, I am adding to Prevention-> Breastfeeding sub-topic, and possibly creating new sub-topic: Barriers to breastfeeding. For Malnutrition in India, I am adding to: Nutritional trends of various demographic groups->Female population, and possibly adding two new sub-topics: Dual burden and Domestic violence.

Malnutrition (Sector)

Prevention

While traditional vertical based medical interventions have proven beneficial, community based outreach programs.

Breastfeeding

In addition to reducing infant death, breast milk feeding provides an important source of micronutrients, clinically proven to bolster the immune system of children, and provide long-term defenses against non-communicable and allergic diseases. Breastfeeding has also been shown to improve cognitive abilities in children, with a strong correlation to individual educational achievements. As previously noted, lack of proper breastfeeding is a major factor in child mortality rates, and a primary determinant of disease development for children. The medical community recommends exclusively breastfeeding infants for 6 months, with nutritional whole food supplementation and continued breastfeeding up to 2 years or older for overall optimal health outcomes. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as only giving an infant breast milk for six months as a source of food and nutrition. This means no other liquids, including water or semi-solid foods.

Barriers to breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is noted as one of the most cost effective medical interventions for providing beneficial child health. While there are considerable differences within developed and developing countries: income, employment, social norms, and access to healthcare were found to be universal determinants of whether a mother breast of formula fed their children. Community based healthcare workers have helped alleviate financial barriers faced by newly made mothers, and provided a viable alternative to traditional and expensive hospital based medical care. Recent studies based upon surveys conducted from 1995-2010 shows exclusive breastfeeding rates have gone up globally, from 33% to 39%. Despite the growth rates, medical professionals acknowledge the need for improvement given the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Malnutrition in India (Area)

Nutritional trends of various demographic groups

Female population

Dual Burden

Dual Burden is characterized as undernutrition in the form of obesity or underweight, existing within an individual and/or at a societal level. On an individual level, a person can be obese, yet lack to proper nutrients for proper nutrition. On a societal level, the double burden refers to populations containing both overweight and underweight individuals co-existing. Women in India share a substantial proportion of the dual burden on malnutrition. The primary causes of whether a woman falls into the obese or underweight under-nutritional category is dependent on the socioeconomic status of the individual, and dependent on rural or urban populations. Women with higher economic means in urban areas fall into obese and undernourished category, while conversely lower income women in rural areas are underweight and undernourished. A consistent factor among dual burden outcomes relates primarily to food security issues. Access to healthy and nutritious foods within India has been increasingly replaced by a large supply of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. The existence of the dual malnutrition problems suggests a need for policy makers to support options which measure nutritional output, as opposed to calories, when deciding policies to ensure a well fed society.

Domestic Violence

A strong connection has been found with malnutrition and domestic violence, in particular high levels of anemia and undernutrition. Domestic violence comes in the form of psychological and physical abuse, as a control mechanism towards behaviors within families. This control affects a woman's autonomy to make decisions in regards to providing food, what type and amount, which leads to adverse nutrition results for herself, and family members. Psychological stress also affects anemia through a process labeled oxidative stress. In moments of high stress, free radicals are produced which attack healthy red blood cells, therefore lowering hemoglobin blood levels and producing anemic malnutrition. Additionally, physiological or chronic stress is strongly correlated in women being underweight.

Selecting Possible Articles

Updated contribution plan

For my sector (malnutrition) I plan to start with expanding the breastfeeding topic under the "prevention" section. There is only one sentence which speaks to the amount of child is deaths that could be prevented with "more widespread breastfeeding". I'd like to add bit about the benefits, barriers and populations of breastfeeding as a prevention strategy. I also want to tackle the "special populations" section, specifically the women subtopic. There is already note of a gender bias towards boys receiving more nutritious meals than their counterparts. I am hoping in reviewing materials, other social or structural barriers will become more apparent, so I can add them to that section. One thing I noticed, is an overwhelming use of developing countries as examples of poor nutrition in almost every section. Perhaps this is because those areas contain higher rates, however I feel as a medical article, some of those areas should just provide information about the effects of malnutrition without using a population bias. It has the feel of western paternalship.

My area (malnutrition in India) focus strategy is to add to the "Nutritional trends of various demographic groups” section. I plan on examining low-income groups, in particular rural women, and addressing the structural and social forces, adding to or alleviating malnutrition, within those aforementioned populations. While rural women is a focus, I have viewed many articles in my initial database searches speaking to a "dual burden" or the coexistence of undernutrition with non-communicable diseases. As of now I am uncertain how that fits into rural women, but am thinking I may add that in as a new topic in an appropriate section. I feel more confident in this section in regards to a clear strategy of how to improve this article than my sector article. I am assuming as I continue to review the scholarship, I will be finding new topics and ideas for contributing for both articles and will continue to update my contribution plan. Below I have provided a simple outline for my editing (which I will expand as I continue to research).

Malnutrition

• Breastfeeding
• Special Populations

Malnutrition in India

Demographics

• Women
  • Domestic Violence
  • Dual Burden

Bibliography

Malnutrition (sector)

Breastfeeding

Source (1): Factors influencing breastfeeding exclusivity during the first 6 months of life in developing countries.

A study of developing countries cited maternal employment, a perception of inadequate breast milk, and a lack of family support, as the main barriers to exclusive breastfeeding.

I plan on using this source to explain reasons why lack of breastfeeding is an issue under the gender section of the malnutrition article. I also plan on using solution suggestions presented by the study to bolster the prevention section.

Source (2): Breastfeeding Duration, Costs, and Benefits of a Support Program for Low-Income Breastfeeding Women.

Breastfeeding is recognized as a low cost intervention to offset future medical costs for low-income families. The study finds community-based interventions (e.g. telephone support) more effective than the usual hospital based care.

The article highlights community-based approaches as effectively promoting women to breastfeed. Not only with this study contribute to the management section (solutions) of malnutrition, it is also conducted in the U.S. with low-income families, which will help balance out some of the developing country bias I’ve noticed in the malnutrition article.  

Source (3): Breast-Milk Substitutes: A New Old-Threat for Breastfeeding Policy in Developing Countries.

This source examines the marketing breastmilk substitutes in developing countries and how products like creamers, are labeled to suggest they are safe for infant consumption, which may confuse breastfeeding mothers.

Breastmilk substitutes constitute a barrier for exclusive breastmilk feeding, however companies which use subversive marketing tactics to push milk substitutes not intended for infants represent a significant danger in nutritional needs of infants. This piece will help bolster economic forces which play a role in lending to malnutrition problems regarding breastfeeding.   

Source (4): Toward Optimal Health: The Maternal Benefits of Breastfeeding

Medical article highlighting that while breastfeeding has been touted by the medical community for its numerous benefits, the amount of women breastfeeding still falls short in usage for its apparent advantages. This source will be useful in that it adds to justifications for exclusive breastfeeding, and does not frame its study within the developing world, which I have found my Wikipedia article slightly biased towards using developing nations as examples for the need to breastfeed in relation to malnutrition.

Source (5): Global Trends in Exclusive Breastfeeding

A study reviewing global trends in exclusive breastfeeding from 1995-2010 utilizing UN data. The study claims previously data was not readily available, and surveys within this time period give an accurate account of progress towards promoting exclusive breastfeeding in developing nations.

Source (6): Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding

An academic journal explaining the benefits of breastfeeding from the ages of 0–6 months and 6–12 months with complementary foods. This article will help bolster the breastfeeding section by providing scientific biological explanations not contained in other sources.

Source (7): Five-Year Progress Update on the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.

A report from the CDC which address barriers and solutions to breastfeeding within a 5 year plan from the surgeon general in the United States. It addresses issues within the workplace, communities, and healthcare. I plan on using this article to provide neutrality to my breastfeeding sector, as many sources tend to be developing country based.

Malnutrition in India (area)

Source (1): Domestic Violence and Chronic Malnutrition among Women and Children in India.

A link is shown between domestic violence and Indian women, suggesting that reducing physical abuse would have a positive effect upon health outcomes beyond physical assault. The journal article also cites psychological stress and withholding of food as a result of malnutrition.  

Researches measured levels of anemia and women who had reported domestic abuse, which will help not only my understanding of work to be done at my internship, but also add a social dimension to the causes of anemia within the populations section of the malnutrition in India article. Women are not listed at all in the populations section of malnutrition, and while there is an article entitled “women in India”, it also does not address the link between domestic violence and malnutrition.

Source (2): Impacts of domestic violence on child growth and nutrition: A conceptual review of the pathways of influence.

A review of the effects from domestic violence on children's health. The journal article looks at domestic violence globally, and reviews its effects upon children. The article notes infants and toddlers are most affected, and even prenatal children are at risk. Additionally, a framework is provided for solutions to counter the effects of domestic violence on malnutrition.

Source (3) Violence and Maltreatment of Women During the Perinatal Period: Associations with Infant Morbidity in Indian Slum Communities.

Links children mortality rates to intimate partner violence and expands upon sources of domestic violence experienced by women in south Asia. Not mentioned in other sources, is violence from other family members e.g. in-laws, and also expands on prenatal health issues.

Source (4): Double Burden of Malnutrition: Reexamining the Coexistence of Undernutrition and Overweight Among Women in India.

There is a correlation between being underweight and overweight between different socioeconomic groups, rural/urban areas, and prices for different types of food. The study finds that socioeconomic factors regarding women are more significant towards malnutrition in urban areas.

This study is relevant to editing my article by addressing malnutrition in both rural and urban populations of women, and highlights a problem not addressed in the article: obesity. This topic may be worthwhile creating a whole new section, first, from the lack of overweight malnutrition information, but secondly, countering the overwhelming discussion of malnutrition as rural issue, helpful as I edit the demographics section.

Source (5): Trends and patterns in the triple burden of malnutrition in India.

Combating undernutrition has yielded positive results, however, decreasing food insecurity through cheap, processed foods has led to other malnutrition problems, such as obesity and overnutrition.

This topic fits into a new section I may create after viewing many articles addressing what is known as a dual burden malnutrition problem, and also relates to food security problems within the article. It also addresses socio-economic problems of food prices, which I can work into the demographic section.

Source (6): Toward Food Policy for the Dual Burden of Malnutrition: An Exploratory Policy Space Analysis in India

Article outlines how policy makers in low and middle income countries view a conflict between food supply policies to combat undernutrition and non-communicable diseases.

Use this article when addressing possible solutions or structural issues faced from the dual burden of malnutrition.

Source (7): The burden of anemia among women in India

This is a specific scientific study regarding anemia conducted in Andhra Pradesh. I plan on using information within the introduction and conclusion to add to the demographics section. While there is anemia information scattered throughout the article, the study specifically mentions rural women and the connection to undernutrition.

Original list of possible articles

Nutritional anemia
Malnutrition in India (use for area)
Health in India

Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Gender inequality in India

Editing Malnutrition in India

Integrated child development scheme

The government of India started a program called Integrated Child Development Services (Integrated Child Development Services) in 1975. ICDS has been instrumental in improving the health of mothers and children under age 6 by providing health and nutrition education, health services, supplementary food, and pre-school education. The ICDS program is one of the largest in the world. It reaches more than 34 million children ages 0–6 years and 7 million pregnant and lactating mothers.

Changed to:

The government of India started a program called Integrated Child Development Services (Integrated Child Development Services) in 1975. ICDS works to improve the health of mothers and children under age 6 by providing health and nutrition education, health services, supplementary food, and pre-school education. ICDS is run by India's central government via the Ministry of Women and Child Development, targeting rural, urban and tribal populations and has reached over 70 million young children and 16 million pregnant and lactating mothers.

Evaluating two articles

Malnutrition in India (Area)

Hello, I am a student at University of California, Berkeley, and will be contributing to this article as part of my Global Poverty and Practice course assignments. After reviewing the article, there are many technical issues to be improved, such as adding or updating citations. The section regarding sanitation is extremely problematic. I also found some possible plagiarizing, although it's hard to tell if external websites I found with the exact same wording within “Malnutrition in India” were the source, or if the external websites simply copied from this article, given the lack of citations.

My course focus deals primarily with malnutrition, specifically anemia within rural women living in India. As of now, I plan on adding to the “Nutritional trends of various demographic groups” section, by expanding upon nutritional issues experienced from low-income groups, in particular rural women. I also believe it may be worth adding another section, expanding upon the different forms of malnutrition touched upon in the articles introduction, such as anemia.

As the year progresses, I will be working on various topics within this article and appreciate any feedback regarding these issues. ~~~~

Malnutrition (Sector)

Hello, I am a student at University of California, Berkeley, and will be contributing to this article as part of my Global Poverty and Practice course curriculum. After reviewing the talk page, it is apparent this article has undergone some major revisions, and many of the problems mentioned have been addressed. However, there are a few areas I will be seeking to expand or improve upon, namely the "Global Initiatives", "Prevention" and "Management" sections. There is a bit of overlap between these three sections, for example, economics listed under “management” contains information regarding UN’s WFP, which would also fit under global initiatives or prevention. There is also little written over food distribution despite a whole sub-section on food security. I also believe management may be better served by changing its name to treatment (or creating a new section) and reserving that area for a focus of treatment options for various conditions of malnutrition and moving some of the topics within the management section to global initiatives or prevention.

For now, rather than focusing on the overall structure and placement of information within those above mentioned sections, I will be reviewing scholarship to add or introduce content to missing or weak areas and linking to other Wikipedia pages. For example, there has been discussion over the importance of breastfeeding, which I wholeheartedly agree, while there is a Wiki page on breastfeeding, there is not a strong connection within that article to malnutrition. There is breastfeeding information contained throughout the article, but its own header is a bit sparse. I also may look into fitting anemia (as its part of my course focus), a symptom of malnutrition somewhere within the article, possibly under the section “special populations” subheading women or “management” if deemed warranted. I also had thought of looking into some of the structural forces which play into malnutrition, such as trade policies and food subsidies, touched upon within the economics section.

This is not meant to be a critique of the page, but rather a statement of intent on my part for some improvements I will be seeking to make. In all honesty, I am amazed at the level of information and commitment provided by other fellow Wikipedians within this article and look forward to any advice, comments or helpful critiques anyone can provide. ~~~~