What Causes Undernutrition?
Figure 8.1 The UNICEF Conceptual Framework of the Determinants (more…) Figure 8.1. The UNICEF Conceptual Framework of the Determinants of Nutritional Status Sources: Jonsson 1993; Smith and Haddad 2000; and UNICEF 1990. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conceptual framework of the determinants of the nutritional status of children shown in figure 8.1 presents a generalized understanding of how undernutrition is the outcome of specific development problems related directly to the dietary intake and the health status of the individual. The quality of these immediate determinants, in turn, is determined by the underlying food security status of the household in which a child resides. However, of equal importance is the availability of health services and a healthy environment and the quality of care the child receives—that is, whether the available dietary resources for good nutrition are used effectively through appropriate caring practices. Sustained healthy and active life
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conceptual framework of the determinants of the nutritional status of children shown in figure 8.1 presents a generalized understanding of how undernutrition is the outcome of specific development problems related directly to the dietary intake and the health status of the individual. The quality of these immediate determinants, in turn, is determined by the underlying food security status of the household in which a child resides. However, of equal importance is the availability of health services and a healthy environment and the quality of care the child receives—that is, whether the available dietary resources for good nutrition are used effectively through appropriate caring practices. Sustained healthy and active life is only possible when these underlying determinants—food, health, and care—are each maximized. None of these is sufficient in itself, but all are necessary for good child growth.
