Program in International and Community Nutrition
Research
Current research interests of PICN faculty members are:
Maternal and child nutrition
- Determinants of infant feeding practices
- Impact of infant feeding practices on children's energy and nutrient intakes, morbidity from infections, and growth
- Determinants of lactation performance and composition of human milk
- Impact of lactation on maternal nutritional status
- Development and promotion of enhanced complementary feeding of breastfed infants
- Nutrition and behavioral development and school performance
- Nutrition of women of reproductive age
Micronutrients
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Novel techniques to assess micronutrient status
- Bioavailability of vitamins and minerals from mixed diets
- Metabolic interactions among nutrients
- Interventions to improve micronutrient status
- Effect of infection on micronutrient metabolism
Determinants of food intake
- Socio-cultural, economic, geographic, historical, and other factors affecting food choices and dietary intake
- Dietary and other biological factors influencing appetite and energy intake
Nutrition and Infection
- Relationships among feeding practices, nutritional status, and risk of infection
- Nutritional impact of infections
- Dietary management of infections
- Effect of intestinal parasites on nutrition and behavior
Nutritional Assessment
- Development of novel techniques to assess body composition and status of specific micronutrients, such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc
- Nutritional surveillance
Food and Nutrition Programs and Policy
- Evaluation of nutrition intervention programs (e.g., promotion of exclusive breast feeding, promotion of improved complementary feeding, growth monitoring, school feeding, etc.)
- Impact of community infrastructure and services on childhood malnutrition
- Impact of agricultural and economic development on human nutrition
- Comparative analyses of national nutrition policies
The PIN enjoys collaborative linkages with a number of research and training programs in developing countries, and facilitates inter-institutional exchange of faculty members and students. UC Davis professors currently participate in field projects in each of the major regions of the developing world -- Latin America, Asia, and Africa -- and provide technical assistance to international public health and welfare agencies such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development.
Click here to view "Use of Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS) to Improve the Nutrient Adequacy of General Food Distribution Rations for Vulnerable Sub-groups in Emergency Settings" by Camila M. Chaparro and Kathryn G. Dewey (PDF file).