The Importance of Research:
Putting Pakistan on the Nutritional Map
Nilofer Fatimi Safdar, PhD Director Nutritional Science Program
School of Public Health, DUHS, Pakistan
President, PNDS
What is Research?
Work that adds to scientist's knowledge of how things happen
Pursuing knowledge through scientific discovery
Using a scientific method to an investigation / inquiry
It’s the cornerstone to any health care discipline
Advantages of Doing Research
Enhancement in knowledge, skills,
& competency
Develops critical thinking
Improves ability to conduct subsequent well-designed studies
Support professional growth of members
Reflects in the standards of professional practice
Becomes an advocacy of your profession
Areas of Nutrition Research Conducted
in Pakistan
Nutrition Surveys
Under nutrition among reproductive women & children
Breast & complementary feeding in children
Macronutrient deficiencies (PCM)
Micronutrient deficiencies (Iodine, Vitamin A & iron)
Risk factors & determinants of malnutrition
Factors underlying the lack of improvement
in nutrition indicators
Nutrition Surveys in Pakistan
Nutritional Survey of West Pakistan, 1965
Micronutrient Survey Pakistan, 1976-77
National Nutrition Survey Pakistan, 1985-87
National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP),1990-94
National Nutrition Survey Pakistan, 2001-2002
National Nutrition Survey Pakistan, 2011
Purpose of Nutrition Surveys in Pakistan
Estimate the nutrition problem / benchmark for the
future
Identify population groups at risk
Assess food security & their impact on nutritional
status
Identify the need for nutrition interventions
To help establish or expand existing
surveillance
Survey Team Members
Economist
Social Scientists
Research & Survey experts
Medical doctors/ Physicians
Pediatrician
Results of National Surveys
Results of National Surveys
Malnutrition recognized as a major public health problem
High numbers to substantiate the extent of malnutrition
Meetings & workshops are organized to plan strategies for
reducing malnutrition
Policies and intervention programs are promoted
Reports are compiled
Nutrition gets into the agenda of academia /researchers
Donors gets activated
What next?
Yet malnutrition prevails
Successive governments have not recognized the importance &
impact of nutrition in the health & development of the people
None of the surveys have resulted in a national intervention
program aimed at addressing the root causes of malnutrition
NGOs mostly take over public health nutrition concerns
NGOs in Pakistan
National
HANDS
HOPE
International
Asia Foundation
UNICEF
Micronutrient Initiatives (MI)
Care
WHO
Key Areas of Nutritional Intervention in
Pakistan
Child & Maternal under nutrition
Micronutrient deficiencies
Breast & complementary feedings
Infant and young Child feeding programs
Nutrition Programs in Pakistan
Fortification of edible oil with vitamin A & D (1965)
Supplementary feeding of vulnerable groups (1976)
Rural Child Survival Project (1987)
Nutrition Support Program Sind (1989-90)
Lactation Management Program of baby friendly hospitals (1992)
Iodine Deficiency Disorder National Program (1994)
Nutrition Programs in Pakistan
School Nutrition Program (1998)
Mass Vitamin A supplementation (1999)
Bait-ul-mal Food Support program (2000/2002)
National Wheat Fortification with iron & folate (2005)
Universal salt iodization (2006)
Lady Health Workers to provide nutrition education as part of
family planning program (2010)
Outcome of Nutrition Surveys &
Programs in Pakistan
Minimal public awareness at a national level on the
importance of nutrition in the social and economic
development of the society
Nutrition remains the key element missing from the
widely discredited Social Action Program
Few initiatives that addresses food & nutrition research
with qualified people in the public health nutrition issues
What could be the Reasons?
Failure of the Govt, those who undertake surveys, &
those who implement? Collective Failure
Focus is mainly on assessing indicators
Less or nil on identifying causal factors
Lack of qualitative aspect of malnutrition with dietary
factors
Absence of an expert nutritionist in the survey &
intervention team
Tawana Pakistan Project (TPP): 2002-05
Intersectoral project
29 districts
4,000 primary schools
Focused on girls (5-12 yrs) nutritional status
Paid attention to fundamental drivers of malnutrition
Participatory approach
Field experts
Culturally appropriate, low cost & local food,
Nutrition education supplemented the program
Delivery mechanism to maximize program efficiency
Badruddin SH, et al. (2008). Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 17 Suppl 1, 357-360
Tawana Pakistan Project- Results
Increased ability of women to plan nutritionally
balanced meals from 4.7 % to 34.4%
Overall malnutrition rate decreased
wasting by 45%
underweight by 22%
stunting by 6%
Increased school enrollments
Improved dietary knowledge in the communities
Tawana Pakistan Project- Why was it
stopped?
Intersecterol projects
Lack of commitment from the Govt
Prevented siphoning away of funds
Self interest of higher officials
Globalization- commodity push
Pakistani Journals Publishing Nutrition
Research
Journal of Pakistan Medical Association
Journal of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan
Pakistan Journal of Public Health
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences
Journal of Ayub Medical College
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences
Nurture (Home Economics Journal)
Published Nutrition Research in
Pakistan (2001-2010)
Year National
Journals
International
journals
nutrition
expert among
the authors
others
(Pediatricians,
Physicians,
economist, health
experts)
2001 4 3 3 4
2002 3 7 3 7
2003 5 6 1 10
2004 5 12 2 15
2005 3 8 none 11
2006 1 4 1 4
2007 5 1 none 6
2008 8 9 4 13
2009 5 9 1 13
2010 9 4 none 13
Nutrition Research in Pakistan
(1965-2003) Major area-Therapeutic Nutrition
Search Engine-medline database, pakmedinet & nutrition gate
Number- 99 research
Major topics- Diarrhea, diabetes and cancer
Authors- Pediatrician, Physicians, Food Scientist
Institutes-AKU, JPMC
Journal - JPMA.
Tahir,S (2003) M.ScThesis; College of Home Economics, Karachi
Who are mostly the stake holders in
nutrition related research?
Experts in various sciences other than nutrition
Many of these professionals lack education, training &
expertise in food & nutrition
Net impact negligible in terms of nutrition awareness or
improvement in nutritional situation in the population
You are supposedly the spokesperson in promoting the
relationship between good health and diet
COBRA –Trial (2004-2007)
Dietary information using FFQ
Physical activity assessment using IPQ
Intervention in the form of Home Health Nutrition Education,
counseling & reinforcement
Expertise involved for Diet & Nutrition Component of COBRA
study were qualified people in their respective areas
Papers published to evaluate the efficacy of this program
Jafar TH, et al. (2010) BMJ ; 340, 2641.
Dietitians/ Nutritionist Million
Population
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Pakistan
Hong Kong
Thailand
Philippines
Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Taiwan
Korea
Japan
Asia
Slide Courtesy: AFDA 2006
Where do we mostly work?
Health Care Facility
Community Health
Agency
Institution Foodservice
Establishment
Educational Institutes
Business Company
Consultant,
Private Practice
Others
Slide Courtesy: AFDA 2006
Nutrition Research Gaps Among Us
Lack of leadership role & responsibility in food and nutrition
research
Hesitant to play a participatory role in nutrition research
Lack of research ability to conduct well-designed studies
Lack of research undertaken to address the impact of
nutrition related behaviors, attitudes or cultural practices on
nutritional status
Unable to disseminate sound scientific information on food
& nutrition to other health professionals
Schiller et al. J Am Diet Assoc. 1988;88 (9):1070-1075
Research Activities & Interests of Dietetic
Educators
Factors that influence research involvement /publications among dietetics/nutrition professionals
Postal questionnaire survey in USA
Factors inhibiting research
Education
Lack of Training in Research Skills
Lack of Funds
Lack of Administrative Support
Poorly Defined Job Description
Factors promoting
Analytical thinking
Good computer skills
Degree???
Whelan et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112:1021-1028
Factors that Influence Research
Involvement among Nutrition Professionals
Qualitative Study, semi structured interviews with 13 nutrition faculty members in UK universities
Themes emerged
Institution/ department (size and structure, research Philosophy)
Activities (faculty roles, time, funds, training, teaching)
The Influence of self / individuals
Overcoming barriers to research involvement is essential for the development of the individual, the discipline & the community
The Road Forward ……
Visibility
Raise your visibility and impact among those who matters
the most
Identify weaknesses & Competencies
Commitment to education, learning, training as a
researcher
Vision
Multi task & prioritize to handle the task
Be Assertive
Learn to handle criticism, but be positive
Future Directions
A national vision needed to guide priorities & to sustain
momentum
Invest in training of qualified nutrition experts in research &
development
Boost the morale of nutrition experts & develop research
culture
Conduct validity studies for diet assessment techniques
Conduct studies of nutrients & disease outcome
Qualitative research
What PNDS can do to Help you…….
Spark a stronger research effort
Organize workshops, seminars, courses & training for
conducting research studies
Promote research culture through professional advocacy
Help you translate your work into scientific nutritional
concerns & public health issues in Pakistan
Expand your role as a researcher in the health-care
environment through the society’s platform
Generate funds to assist researcher
Symposium Outcomes
Platform to present your research
work
Opportunity to enhance key
concepts in good quality nutrition
research
Help seasoned researcher and
nutrition research novice
Offers opportunities for a fresh
perspective and innovation in food,
nutrition & dietetics
‘Research is at the heart of everything we do.
We need a rigorous knowledge base in order
to make sound clinical decisions and give
credible nutrition advice’. Dr Susan C. Finn, AND, Foundation Chair for Research Endowment Fund, 2004
‘Nutrition has historically received just a
tiny sliver of the pie when it comes to aid
money. But that is slowly changing’.
Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Director of Research for Global Child Health, Toronto
Global Health Report, published on 23rd June’, 2013
Possess Passion for Your Profession
Never lose your Zest and Curiosity !