Use of food expenditure data to estimate household nutrient accessibity

The nutritional status of at-risk groups is usually monitored using health statistics. This approach has limitations as individuals are identified only after they have been afflicted by morbidity. In Jamaica, national surveys are carried out in which expenditure data on all consumption items are collected. We used these data to monitor food accessibility in at-risk groups. The identification of decreases in accessibility levels relative to requirements would enable timely intervention before there is a deterioration in nutritional status. We analysed the data from the survey of 3861 households conducted by Statistical and Planning Institutes of Jamaica in 1989. Using the food expenditure data, per capita energy and protein accessibility levels were determined. The mean energy and protein accessibility levels for the sample were 2170 Cals and 64 g, respectively. The results showed that the per capita accessibility levels of 20 percent and 9 percent of the households were less than half of requirments for energy and protein, respectively. The situation was worse in rural areas than in urban centres. However, the accessibility levels may have been underestimated as the data did not include meals bought and consumed away from the home, which may be significant to some households. We believe that the use of data from these surveys is a cost-effective way to monitor nutrient accessibility in Jamaica

KAP study of secondary school students towards obesity in Jamaica

A series of focus groups was used to study the knowledge, attitudes and practices of students (ages 11-18 years) towards obesity in Jamaica. Fifteen focus groups with a total of 180 students were drawn from a total of one thousand and twenty-two (1.022) students, from two school: one located in the urban area of Kingston, St. Andrew; and the other located in the rural area of Ewarton, in the parish of St. Catherine. Samples of students from the two schools were divided into three categories: 1. young-for-grade 2. average-for-grade 3. old-for-grade. Students were further grouped into all boys, all girls, and mixed groups of both boys and girls. Group interviews were taped recorded, and all recordings were transcribed verbatim. Notes were also made during each session. Following the standard procedure outlined in grounded method of group interviews open coding of the transcriptions was done. Concepts were identified and developed in terms of their properties and dimensions. Similar questions were labelled and grouped to form categories relating to each research question. Analysis of the sessions showed that there was no significant difference in the knowledge of causes of obesity among students in different grades. The majority of male students showed a negative attitude or feeling toward being obese. Yet many prefered women who were heavier or had a lower body distribution of adipose tissue which was refered to as the a "coca-cola bottle shape" (gynoid obesity, rather than women with an upper-body of abdominal distribution of adipose tissue (android obesity). The majority of female students expressed a positive attitude towards gynoid obesity, but disliked android obesity. In addition many of the females student expressed their dislike for obese men. Students' knowledge about the causes of obesity and prevention measures was not very consistent with their dietary patterns. Most of the students who participated in the focus group sessions did not think of obesity as a nutritional disease, but rather regarded it as a sign of wealth, good living, or access to an abundance of food.