By Krystal Rampalli, MPH, DFC Research Assistant
The University of South Carolina (USC) Drivers of Food Choice (DFC) team had a second busy summer preparing for and participating in the fourth annual Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health (ANH) Academy Week Meeting in Hyderabad, India on June 24-28, 2019.
The DFC team and several grantees at ANH 2019, Hyderabad, India
(photo credit: Sydney Hankinson)
DFC Presentations at ANH 2019
Several of the 15 DFC projects are completed or nearing completion and were able to present results. The following is a listing of the grantees’ oral presentations:
DFC grantee Dr. Helen Walls presents her team’s research findings from Malawi
(photo credit: Sydney Hankinson)
- “From growing food to growing cash: the impact of agrarian transitions on diets and nutrition in rural Indonesia” By Ickowitz, A. 4thAgriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy Week 24 – 28 June 201 – Hyderabad, India.
- “Implementation of Healthy Food Environment Policies in Ghana: Gaps and Priorities to Prevent Nutrition-Related NCDs” By Laar, A. 4thAgriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy Week 24 – 28 June 201 – Hyderabad, India.
- “Does Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) improve dietary diversity?” By Walls, H. 4thAgriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy Week 24 – 28 June 201 – Hyderabad, India.
- “Has the provision of legume seeds subsidies affected dietary diversity? Household survey evidence from Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP)” By Matita, M. 4thAgriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy Week 24 – 28 June 201 – Hyderabad, India.
- “Understanding Food Choices in the Context of Globalizing Food Options” By Cunningham, SA. 4thAgriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy Week 24 – 28 June 201 – Hyderabad, India.
DFC grantee Dr. Amos Laar presents his team’s research findings from Ghana
(photo credit: Sydney Hankinson)
Several DFC grantees also presented posters at ANH 2019.
DFC grantee Dr. Valerie Flax’s ‘mini’ poster presentation on her team’s work in Malawi
(photo credit: Krystal Rampalli)
The following is a listing of our grantees’ poster presentations:
- “Body size perceptions and food choice among normal and overweight mothers and children in Malawi” By Flax VL, Thakwalakwa C, Jaacks LM, Phuka JC. 4th Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week, Hyderabad, India, 24-28 June 2019.
- “Public Distribution System as a Driver of Food Choice: Evidence from a District in South India.” By U, Doddihal, C., Marad, M., Datar, A., Cunningham, SA. 4th Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week, Hyderabad, India, 24-28 June 2019.
- “Drivers of demand for animal-source foods in low-income informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.” By P. Dominguez-Salas, P, Bukachi, SRA, Ngutu, M, Muthiru, S, Kadiyala, S, Lepine, A. 4th Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week, Hyderabad, India, 24-28 June 2019.
- “Women’s empowerment in agriculture and its relationship with maternal and child nutritional status and growth in Bugiri and Kamuli districts, Eastern Uganda.” By Varley, G, Nambooze, J, Spray, AL, Priebe, J, Forsythe, L, Ferguson, E, Wellard, K. 4th Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week, Hyderabad, India, 24-28 June 2019.
DFC grantee Dr. Paula Dominguez-Salas’ ‘mini’ poster presentation on her team’s work in Kenya
(photo credit: Krystal Rampalli)
Other DFC activities at ANH 2019
The USC DFC team also facilitated an ANH Learning Lab.This interactive workshop allowed for a rich discussion on how to conduct research on drivers of food choice in low- and middle- income countries. Dr. Christine Blake began with an introductory presentation on the DFC program and the concepts underlying food choice research. Four of our grantees (Drs. Pepijn Schreinemachers, Kate Wellard, Amy Ickowitz, and Valerie Flax) then presented case studies of their DFC research. Following the case studies, small groups chose a case study to discuss ideas for how to carry out the research and what information would be useful for stakeholders and policymakers. Finally, groups reported out on the discussions they had at each of their tables. Dr. Edward Frongillo of the USC DFC team summarized the key takeaways and overarching themes at the end of the Learning Lab.
DFC Learning Lab attendees brainstorming ways to conduct food choice research
(photo credit: Sydney Hankinson)
Over the next year, DFC grantees, in conjunction with the USC DFC team, will collaborate to develop innovative ways to disseminate the key research findings of the DFC program to an array of stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and the general public.
“ANH provides an opportunity to connect with the international agriculture, nutrition, and health community of practice, making it a wonderful platform for DFC grantees to disseminate their research findings and for our team at USC to connect with the audience for our ongoing and future synthesis work,” says Dr. Andrea Warren. “We found ANH 2019 to be as valuable and stimulating as ANH 2018 and are already looking forward to ANH 2020.”