Author: sly

Water insecurity presents challenges to infant feeding across diverse settings: findings from HWISE

Water insecurity presents challenges to infant feeding across diverse settings: findings from HWISE

“If there is no water, we cannot feed our children”: The far-reaching consequences of water insecurity on infant feeding practices and infant health across 16 low- and middle-income countries was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Human Biology last week. Led by Dr. 

We are beginning a formative study on postpartum depression in Cook County

We are beginning a formative study on postpartum depression in Cook County

Margaret Butler, a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at Northwestern University and a member of the Young Research Group, is currently recruiting participants for her pilot study: A Retrospective Examination of Postpartum Depression Experiences Among Chicagoland Mothers (IRB: STU00210495). We would love you 

Patrick Begins Thwake Multi-Purpose Dam Fieldwork in Makueni County, Kenya

Patrick Begins Thwake Multi-Purpose Dam Fieldwork in Makueni County, Kenya

Patrick has completed the first six months of fieldwork in Makueni County, Kenya for his project assessing the health and economic impacts of dam construction on displaced and downstream communities. As part of his PhD dissertation, he aims to:

  • Assess the nutritional, disease, and economic pathways by which construction of Thwake Multipurpose Dam may impact household health and wellbeing.
  • Explore the psychosocial, nutritional, disease and economic pathways by which construction of Thwake Multipurpose Dam may impact maternal and child health
  • Explore the adaptive strategies that individuals and households develop to cope with changes as a result of the construction of Thwake Multipurpose Dam, and explore potential livelihood strategies for affected households.

During this baseline assessment, Patrick hired 26 enumerators who helped collect survey and biomarker data (saliva and dried blood spot samples) from over 900 individuals. He plans to return in 6 months for the first round of follow up after the dam is constructed.

Patrick and his team members visiting households for data collection
Front Page of UN.org! Our research on food insecurity and breastmilk intake

Front Page of UN.org! Our research on food insecurity and breastmilk intake

Last week, findings from our research on the connection between food insecurity and breastmilk were featured on the front page of the United Nation’s website! The article, published in Maternal & Child Nutrition in June of this year, explored infant feeding practices among a community 

Community Screening of Chocolate Milk: The Documentary in Chicago to celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week 2019

Community Screening of Chocolate Milk: The Documentary in Chicago to celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week 2019

Last week was Black Breastfeeding Week, an annual event that takes place from August 25th– 31st to celebrate breastfeeding among Black women around the world, and highlight the progress being made toward a more equitable breastfeeding landscape in the United States. On Wednesday August 28th, YRG 

A Call for Better Research on the Impact of Women’s Empowerment on Child Nutrition

A Call for Better Research on the Impact of Women’s Empowerment on Child Nutrition

Dr. Vicky Santoso has published her first dissertation paper! Our thanks to co-authors Prof Rachel Kerr, Prof John Hoddinott, and Northwestern undergraduate researchers Priya Garigipati & Sophia Olmos for their contributions. We reviewed 62 studies examining the relation between more than 200 unique indicators of empowerment and child nutrition outcomes. We found that these indicators were “inconsistent” and “limited in scope,” and often did capture “dimensions and domains relevant to child nutrition”.

The TLDR? Research to quantify the relationship between women’s empowerment and child nutrition needs to be more explicit in articulating and measuring pathways between women’s empowerment and child nutrition.


A review of transactional sex for natural resources: Under-researched, overstated, or unique to fishing economies?

A review of transactional sex for natural resources: Under-researched, overstated, or unique to fishing economies?

Environmental change is projected to decrease the availability of key natural resources. We therefore recently reviewed all published reports of transactional sex for natural resources to understand how resource scarcity, and fluctuations due to climate change, shape behavior. The review, led by my former post-doc and now Prof 

YRG@ANH

YRG@ANH

In June, Dr. Young, Hollyn Cetrone, and Dr. Vicky Santoso presented recent findings at the Agriculture, Nutrition, & Health (ANH)  Academy week in Hyderabad, India. We also hosted a learning lab on using the Household Water InSecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale. Northwestern senior Hollyn Cetrone gave