In this module we will introduce you to concepts such as food security, food insecurity, nutrition security, livelihood security, food policies and programmes and the role of stakeholders and facilitators. You will gain the knowledge and skills required to gather information on many different levels, from the macro to the micro level. You will also, in time, become equipped to analyse community and household needs, understand the implications of policies and strategies for communities and households. You will eventually be able to report on the community situation regarding food insecurity and related issues and to advocate and request assistance for intervention.

This unit we focus on household food security and what the effect of food insecurity will be on households. These days the concepts nutrition, nutrition security, livelihoods and household livelihood security are also used when the bigger picture of household food security is discussed.

In this module your main task is to plan and carry out a set of activities with selected households in the community to help them gain a good understanding of their current and possible future use of natural resources in their area.

In Module 4 you are revising the important concepts from Module 1 such as food security,food insecurity, nutrition security and livelihood security. We add nutrition for the vulnerable,food behaviour, food choices, dietary patterns and diet diversity, as well as the role played by different stakeholders involved in food security. Together with the households you will gain knowledge on these issues and help the households themselves to gather information about their nutrition related problems, vulnerability, risks and malnutrition. You will together with them analyse the causes of these problems on different levels, from the macro to the micro level. The most important set of skills you will learn is how to work with households as a facilitator.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Undernutrition is responsible for nearly half of all deaths in children under five. It affects everything from long-term physical and cognitive development and susceptibility to disease to vaccine efficacy. Children who are undernourished often fail to regain height and weight, even after nutritional intervention. Scientists are now looking to non-dietary factors to explain why stunting continues after children consume nutrient-rich foods. A recent study examined the effects of chronic undernutrition on intestinal microbes. Using fecal bacteria from 200 children between two and five years old in Madagascar and Central African Republic, researchers found that undernourished children had a high proportion of bacteria bound to immunoglobulin A (IgA). IgA is a type of antibody that typically regulates host-microbe homeostasis in the intestine. But malnutrition allows pathogenic bacteria to proliferate, resulting in altered IgA recognition of intestinal microbes..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This video is about interactions between nutritional deficiencies and infections in low-income settings. First, the typical diet in low-income countries, and the most common micronutrient deficiencies will be described, and basic concepts about the malnutrition-infection cycle will be introduced. Then the role of iron, zinc and vitamin A in relation to childhood infections will be discussed. Finally, students will hear about the need for nutritional support to patients with TB and HIV patients.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Though a seemingly simple task, eating requires a coordinated effort between multiple oral muscles, such as those found in the tongue and lips. A new study conducted by researchers in Japan has found a link between the strength of these muscles and a condition called ‘nutrition-related sarcopenia’. From childhood through young adulthood, your muscles continually grow larger and stronger. At some point in mid-life, however, this trajectory switches course and many muscles begin to deteriorate, a progression termed sarcopenia. While this muscle loss is a natural part of the aging process, malnutrition has been suggested to amplify the problem. And, because nutritional intake involves oral function, degeneration of these muscles may play a role. In hopes of clarifying this relationship, the team evaluated more than 200 patients over the age of 65 for malnutrition and assessed factors such as tongue strength, lip strength, and the amount of food they ate..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.