Home Institution

Trinity College

Publication Date

Fall 2013

Program Name

Uganda: Development Studies

Abstract

In beginning of the investigation process, the researcher set out to study malnutrition in Uganda. She wanted to study an urban region in comparison to a rural region and so based her research out of both Kampala and the Mukono region. The researcher set out to learn more about the causes of the condition and why children become malnourished. She also was interested in the differences that exist between the two different locations and why they exist. Finally, the researcher was eager to learn what malnutrition meant to each community and how health care professionals go about treating the condition in each location.

In order to accomplish all of the above, the researcher employed a variety of research methods throughout her investigation process. In Kampala, the researcher mostly conducted one-on-one interviews with caretakers with the help of a translator. She also had the opportunity to speak with some health care professionals including Dr. Jolly Kamugisha. Finally, she was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit a total of six homes in the area to observe first hand how the children live and in what environment they grow up. In Mukono, the researcher did a few one-on-one interviews but her research mostly consisted of focus group discussions and immunization outreaches. She conducted the focus groups both at Nakifuma Government Health Unit (NGHU) and on immunization outreaches. In each group some children were malnourished and some were not, so that she could try to compare differences between the two, though not many were found. Again, the researcher had the chance to speak with health care professionals and visit a total of four homes in the community.

The researcher made many findings throughout her research, some of which she will briefly mention here and all of which she will expand on later in the paper. Findings included differences in resources between the two communities, financial standing, food availability, and severity of condition.

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Family, Life Course, and Society | Health Services Research | Inequality and Stratification | Maternal and Child Health | Place and Environment | Public Health Education and Promotion

Download

Share

Article Location

 
COinS