A scoping review of research on policies to address child undernutrition in the Millennium Development Goals era

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Vanessa Pike ◽  
Beverly Bradley ◽  
Aviva Rappaport ◽  
Stanley Zlotkin ◽  
Nandita Perumal
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
High Income ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Child Undernutrition ◽  
Nutrition Policies ◽  
Study Characteristics ◽  
Design Type ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: The breadth of research on the impact of nutrition-specific policies to address child undernutrition is not well documented. This review maps the evidence base and identifies evidence gaps on such policies. Design: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, PAIS Index for public policy, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for public policy to identify eligible studies. Key study characteristics, including research design, type of policy, time span of policy before impact assessment, child age at outcome assessment, and types of outcomes assessed, were abstracted in duplicate. Setting: Low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Participants: Studies were eligible for inclusion if they aimed to assess the impact of population-level nutrition-specific policies on undernutrition among children <10 years of age. Results: Of the 5646 abstracts screened, 83 studies were included. A range of policies to address child undernutrition were evaluated; the majority were related to micronutrient fortification. Most studies were observational, reported on mandatory regional or sub-national polices, were conducted in high-income countries, and evaluated policies within one year of implementation. A narrow set of health outcomes were evaluated, most commonly iodine deficiency disorders and neural tube defects. Conclusions: Nutrition policies were commonly associated with improved child nutritional status and health. However, this evidence is primarily based on limited settings and a limited number of outcomes. Further research is needed to assess the longer-term impact of a broader range of nutrition policies on child health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

scholarly journals Examining the Evidence on the Impact of Nutrition Policies on Child Health and Undernutrition Globally: A Scoping Review (P22-017-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandita Perumal ◽  
Beverly Bradley ◽  
Aviva Rappaport ◽  
Vanessa Pike ◽  
Stanley Zlotkin
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
High Income ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Nutrition Policies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives To summarize the evidence on the impact of nutrition policies on improving health among children in low-, middle- and high-income countries (LMHICs). Methods A scoping review was conducted to map and describe peer-reviewed studies evaluating the impact of population-level nutrition policies on child health and undernutrition (using primary data) in LMHICs. We systematically searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and PAIS Index for public policy, to identify eligible studies. Data on key study characteristics, including research design, type of nutrition policy, time span of policy, child's age at outcome assessment, and types of outcomes assessed, were abstracted. Abstract screening and data abstraction were conducted in duplicate and reconciled. Results Of the 5646 abstracts screened, 83 studies were included. The majority of studies were conducted in upper-middle or high-income settings (66%, 54/83 studies) (Figure 1). Most studies were observational study design (49%, 41/83 studies), evaluated regional/sub-national policies (68%, 56/83 studies), reported on mandatory policies (71%, 59/83 studies), were related to micronutrient food fortification and/or supplementation (70%, 58/83 studies), and assessed outcomes among children <5 years of age (55%, 46/83 studies). Iodine deficiency disorders (40%, 33 studies) and neural tube defects (18%, 15 studies) were the most commonly assessed child health outcomes. The impact of policy intervention on outcomes, such as low birth weight, breastfeeding rates, vitamin A deficiencies, and child growth, were assessed less frequently. Policies were largely implemented between 1990–2000 (36%, 30/83 studies) and studies mostly evaluated effects within a year (28%, 23/83) or within 2–5 years since policy implementation (13%, 11/83 studies). Conclusions Among the studies reviewed, nutrition policies were commonly associated with improved child nutrition and health. However, current evidence is primarily based on regional studies from high-income settings evaluating the effect of micronutrient food fortification and/or supplementation policies on a narrow set of outcomes. Further research is needed to assess the impact of a broader range of nutrition policies on child health, particularly in LMICs. Funding Sources Funding for this research was provided by the 2017 SickKids Centre for Global Child Health Catalyst Grant Competition. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

scholarly journals Capital account opening and economic growth——an empirical test based on systematic GMM

2021 ◽  
Vol 235 ◽  
pp. 01019
Author(s):  
Siming Jia
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
High Income ◽  
Capital Account ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
National Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

This paper collected panel data of 74 countries from 1990 to 2017, and based on the Chinn-It index to depict the degree of capital account opening. Under the framework of the neoclassical economic growth model, the impact of capital account opening on economic growth was empirically tested by systematic GMM. The results show that: first, taking the overall capital account openness as the explanatory variable, the coefficient of the capital account openness of the whole sample is significantly positive. Further, considering the national differences found that high income countries capital account openness coefficient is significantly positive, but in low and middle-income countries capital account openness coefficient on economic and statistical significance were not significant, indicating that high income countries made open dividends, while in low and middle-income countries and earnings in the capital account liberalization. Finally, it proposes to open the capital account sub-projects step by step, strengthen prudent supervision in the process of further opening the capital account, and improve the regulatory legal system.

The Impact of Cash Transfers: A Review of the Evidence from Low- and Middle-income Countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (03) ◽  
pp. 569-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCESCA BASTAGLI ◽  
JESSICA HAGEN-ZANKER ◽  
LUKE HARMAN ◽  
VALENTINA BARCA ◽  
GEORGINA STURGE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Base ◽  
Cash Transfers ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

AbstractThis article presents the findings of a review of the impact of non-contributory cash transfers on individuals and households in low- and middle-income countries, covering the literature of 15 years, from 2000 to 2015. Based on evidence extracted from 165 studies, retrieved through a systematic search and screening process, this article discusses the impact of cash transfers on 35 indicators covering six outcome areas: monetary poverty; education; health and nutrition; savings, investment and production; work; and empowerment. For most of the studies, cash transfers contributed to progress in the selected indicators in the direction intended by policymakers. Despite variations in the size and strength of the underlying evidence base by outcome and indicator, this finding is consistent across all outcome areas. The article also investigates unintended effects of cash transfer receipt, such as potential reductions in adult work effort and increased fertility, finding limited evidence for such unintended effects. Finally, the article highlights gaps in the evidence base and areas which would benefit from additional future research.

scholarly journals Modelling the household-level impact of a maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in a high-income setting

BMC Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia T. Campbell ◽  
Nicholas Geard ◽  
Alexandra B. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Population Level ◽  
High Income ◽  
Demographic Model ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Rsv Infection ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects almost all children by the age of 2 years, with the risk of hospitalisation highest in the first 6 months of life. Development and licensure of a vaccine to prevent severe RSV illness in infants is a public health priority. A recent phase 3 clinical trial estimated the efficacy of maternal vaccination at 39% over the first 90 days of life. Households play a key role in RSV transmission; however, few estimates of population-level RSV vaccine impact account for household structure. Methods We simulated RSV transmission within a stochastic, individual-based model framework, using an existing demographic model, structured by age and household and parameterised with Australian data, as an exemplar of a high-income country. We modelled vaccination by immunising pregnant women and explicitly linked the immune status of each mother-infant pair. We quantified the impact on children for a range of vaccine properties and uptake levels. Results We found that a maternal immunisation strategy would have the most substantial impact in infants younger than 3 months, reducing RSV infection incidence in this age group by 16.6% at 70% vaccination coverage. In children aged 3–6 months, RSV infection was reduced by 5.3%. Over the first 6 months of life, the incidence rate for infants born to unvaccinated mothers was 1.26 times that of infants born to vaccinated mothers. The impact in older age groups was more modest, with evidence of infections being delayed to the second year of life. Conclusions Our findings show that while individual benefit from maternal RSV vaccination could be substantial, population-level reductions may be more modest. Vaccination impact was sensitive to the extent that vaccination prevented infection, highlighting the need for more vaccine trial data.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Governance, and Conflict: Emerging Impacts and Future Evidence Needs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siân Herbert ◽  
Heather Marquette
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Public Health ◽  
High Income ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Social ◽  
Global Nature ◽  
Bodies Of Evidence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

This paper reviews emerging evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on governance and conflict, using a “governance and conflict first” approach in contrast to other research and synthesis on COVID-19 in the social sciences that tends to be structured through a public health lens. It largely focuses on evidence on low- and middle-income countries but also includes a number of examples from high-income countries, reflecting the global nature of the crisis. It is organised around four cross-cutting themes that have enabled the identification of emerging bodies of evidence and/or analysis: Power and legitimacy; Effectiveness, capacity, and corruption; Violence, unrest, and conflict; and Resilience, vulnerability, and risk. The paper concludes with three over-arching insights that have emerged from the research: (1) the importance of leadership; (2) resilience and what “fixing the cracks” really means; and (3) why better ways are needed to add up all the “noise” when it comes to COVID-19 and evidence.

International Diabetes Federation –Putting Women and Diabetes on the Global Agenda

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Ann Keeling ◽  
Katie Dain ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
International Diabetes Federation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Impact

Eighty per cent of the 300 million people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries and women represent half of this worldwide diabetes community. Gender roles and power dynamics shape vulnerability to diabetes, affect women’s health-seeking behaviour, access to health services and influence the impact of diabetes on women’s health. This creates a set of concerns that are specific to women. In addition, as the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age has increased, so has the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a form of diabetes with onset or that is first recognised during pregnancy. GDM is a major cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and a major factor in the intergenerational transmission of diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is responding to this aspect of the global diabetes epidemic by launching a new programme on women and diabetes. This programme will build the evidence base, promote awareness and political commitment, support gender-responsive health systems and empower women to take a leading role in diabetes prevention.

International Diabetes Federation—Putting Women and Diabetes on the Global Agenda

2010 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Keeling ◽  
Katie Dain ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
International Diabetes Federation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Impact

Eighty percent of the 300 million people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries and women represent half of this worldwide diabetes community. Gender roles and power dynamics shape vulnerability to diabetes, affect women’s health-seeking behavior and access to health services, and influence the impact of diabetes on women’s health. This creates a set of concerns that are specific to women. In addition, as the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age has increased, so has the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a form of diabetes with onset or that is first recognised during pregnancy. GDM is a major cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and a major factor in the intergenerational transmission of diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is responding to this aspect of the global diabetes epidemic by launching a new program on women and diabetes. This programme will build the evidence base, promote awareness and political commitment, support gender-responsive health systems and empower women to take a leading role in diabetes prevention.

scholarly journals The Retail Food Sector and Indigenous Peoples in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8818
Author(s):  
Tiff-Annie Kenny ◽  
Matthew Little ◽  
Tad Lemieux ◽  
P. Joshua Griffin ◽  
Sonia D. Wesche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
High Income ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Retail Food

Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries experience higher burdens of food insecurity, obesity, and diet-related health conditions compared to national averages. The objective of this systematic scoping review is to synthesize information from the published literature on the methods/approaches, findings, and scope for research and interventions on the retail food sector servicing Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries. A structured literature search in two major international databases yielded 139 relevant peer-reviewed articles from nine countries. Most research was conducted in Oceania and North America, and in rural and remote regions. Several convergent issues were identified across global regions including limited grocery store availability/access, heightened exposure to unhealthy food environments, inadequate market food supplies (i.e., high prices, limited availability, and poor quality), and common underlying structural factors including socio-economic inequality and colonialism. A list of actions that can modify the nature and structure of retailing systems to enhance the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthful foods is identified. While continuing to (re)align research with community priorities, international collaboration may foster enhanced opportunities to strengthen the evidence base for policy and practice and contribute to the amelioration of diet quality and health at the population level.

scholarly journals Dynamic Linkages Among Energy Consumption, Environment and Health Sustainability: Evidence from the Different Income Level Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 004695802097522
Author(s):  
Yongqi Feng ◽  
Ren Liu ◽  
Yung-ho Chiu ◽  
Tzu-Han Chang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Income Level ◽  
High Income ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health Efficiency

Environment pollution was closely related to human health. The energy consumption is one of the important sources of environmental pollution in the development of economy. This paper used undesirable two-stage meta-frontier DDF (distance difference function) data envelopment analysis model to explore the impact of environment pollutants from energy consumption on the mortality of children and the aged, survival rate of 65 years old and health expenditure efficiency in 27 high income countries, 21 upper middle income countries, and 16 lower middle income countries from 2010 to 2014. High income countries had higher efficiency of energy and health than middle income countries in general. But whether in high income or middle income countries, the efficiency of non-renewable energy is higher than renewable energy. There was much room for both high income countries and middle income countries to improve renewable energy efficiency. Besides, middle income countries need to improve the efficiency of non-renewable energy and reduce pollutant emissions per unit of GDP. In terms of health efficiency, upper middle income countries performed worse than lower income countries. This phenomenon might indicate there was a U-shaped relationship between health efficiency and income level. Upper income countries should pay more attention to the environmental and health problems and cross the U-shaped turning point. The contribution of this article was to consider the heterogeneous performance of energy efficiency, environmental efficiency, and health efficiency under the influence of income level differences, and found that there might be a U-shaped relationship between health efficiency and income level.

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