Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities

The current global evidence base regarding the nutritional impacts of nutrition-sensitive programs, including popular ones such as social safety nets and agriculture development programs, is generally limited due to poor targeting, design, and implementation of programs and, equally important, to su...

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Autores principales: Leroy, Jef L., Olney, Deanna K., Ruel, Marie T.
Formato: Capítulo de libro
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147574
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author Leroy, Jef L.
Olney, Deanna K.
Ruel, Marie T.
author_browse Leroy, Jef L.
Olney, Deanna K.
Ruel, Marie T.
author_facet Leroy, Jef L.
Olney, Deanna K.
Ruel, Marie T.
author_sort Leroy, Jef L.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The current global evidence base regarding the nutritional impacts of nutrition-sensitive programs, including popular ones such as social safety nets and agriculture development programs, is generally limited due to poor targeting, design, and implementation of programs and, equally important, to suboptimal evaluation designs (Webb-Girard et al. 2012; Ruel and Alderman 2013; Leroy, Ruel, and Verhofstadt 2009). Although there is a consensus regarding the need to invest in nutrition-sensitive programs in order to address the underlying causes of undernutrition and to improve the effectiveness, reach, and scale of both nutrition-specific interventions and nutrition-sensitive programs, the evidence of what works, how, and at what cost is extremely limited. Thus, building a strong body of evidence from rigorous, theory-based comprehensive evaluations of different nutritionsensitive program models that bring together interventions from a variety of sectors (health, education, agriculture, social protection, women’s empowerment, water and sanitation, and so on) is essential to provide the needed guidance for future investments for improving nutrition. This chapter provides this type of guidance, focusing on how to design and carry out rigorous process, cost, and impact evaluations of complex nutrition-sensitive programs. It aims to demystify some of the perceived insurmountable challenges that have prevented investments in rigorous evaluations of such programs in the past. By doing so, we hope that the evidence gap in nutrition-sensitive programming, which has characterized the past decades of development, will quickly be filled and that future investments will benefit from a strong body of evidence on what works to improve nutrition, how it works, and at what cost.
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spelling CGSpace1475742025-11-06T03:56:27Z Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities Leroy, Jef L. Olney, Deanna K. Ruel, Marie T. income gender biofortification mycotoxins economic growth undernutrition economic development nutrition policies agricultural growth agricultural policies indicators capacity development evaluation malnutrition nutrition aflatoxins children agricultural development food consumption poverty diet women The current global evidence base regarding the nutritional impacts of nutrition-sensitive programs, including popular ones such as social safety nets and agriculture development programs, is generally limited due to poor targeting, design, and implementation of programs and, equally important, to suboptimal evaluation designs (Webb-Girard et al. 2012; Ruel and Alderman 2013; Leroy, Ruel, and Verhofstadt 2009). Although there is a consensus regarding the need to invest in nutrition-sensitive programs in order to address the underlying causes of undernutrition and to improve the effectiveness, reach, and scale of both nutrition-specific interventions and nutrition-sensitive programs, the evidence of what works, how, and at what cost is extremely limited. Thus, building a strong body of evidence from rigorous, theory-based comprehensive evaluations of different nutritionsensitive program models that bring together interventions from a variety of sectors (health, education, agriculture, social protection, women’s empowerment, water and sanitation, and so on) is essential to provide the needed guidance for future investments for improving nutrition. This chapter provides this type of guidance, focusing on how to design and carry out rigorous process, cost, and impact evaluations of complex nutrition-sensitive programs. It aims to demystify some of the perceived insurmountable challenges that have prevented investments in rigorous evaluations of such programs in the past. By doing so, we hope that the evidence gap in nutrition-sensitive programming, which has characterized the past decades of development, will quickly be filled and that future investments will benefit from a strong body of evidence on what works to improve nutrition, how it works, and at what cost. 2016-10-17 2024-06-21T09:23:03Z 2024-06-21T09:23:03Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147574 en https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896295933 https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/public-health-nutrition Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Leroy, Jef L.; Olney, Deanna K.; and Ruel, Marie T. 2016. Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: challenges, methods, and opportunities. In Achieving a nutrition revolution for Africa: The road to healthier diets and optimal nutrition. Covic, Namukolo and Hendriks, Sheryl L. (Eds.). Chapter 10. Pp. 130-146. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896295933_10.
spellingShingle income
gender
biofortification
mycotoxins
economic growth
undernutrition
economic development
nutrition policies
agricultural growth
agricultural policies
indicators
capacity development
evaluation
malnutrition
nutrition
aflatoxins
children
agricultural development
food consumption
poverty
diet
women
Leroy, Jef L.
Olney, Deanna K.
Ruel, Marie T.
Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title_full Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title_fullStr Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title_short Evaluating nutrition-sensitive programs: Challenges, methods, and opportunities
title_sort evaluating nutrition sensitive programs challenges methods and opportunities
topic income
gender
biofortification
mycotoxins
economic growth
undernutrition
economic development
nutrition policies
agricultural growth
agricultural policies
indicators
capacity development
evaluation
malnutrition
nutrition
aflatoxins
children
agricultural development
food consumption
poverty
diet
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147574
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