1. A Relational Approach to the Drivers of Child Acute Malnutrition.
- Author
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Young, Helen, Sulieman, Hussein, Krätli, Saverio, and Osman, Abdal Monium
- Abstract
Background: This article presents a new analytical approach to acute malnutrition causal analysis that is different from the orthodox approach in 2 respects. First, it engages with basic causes, that is, beyond the usual focus on individuals and households. Second, it uses a relational view in the causal analysis. The orthodox approach identifies the malnourished and their individual and household characteristics. In contrast, a relational approach explores the ways in which the relationships between people, their livelihoods, and the environment, mediated by systems and institutions, create the underlying drivers associated with acute malnutrition for some, while simultaneously creating better conditions for others. Methods: The article draws on 2 case study communities in West Darfur, Sudan, first considering the Darfur context and the inequitable policies and weakened institutions that have led to ethnic polarization, multilayered conflict, and humanitarian crises. The article explores how this context has played out differently in each community, contrasting their livelihood specializations, conflict-related losses, and livelihood diversification over time. Findings: This analysis shows how the relative vulnerability of some people versus others is strongly influenced by their social, economic, and political relationships, as reflected in their shifting power relations and uneven control over livelihood resources. Conclusions: Shifting the focus to the basic drivers, especially the institutional structures, processes, and relationships, will deepen the causal analysis of child acute malnutrition, make it more meaningful, and provide a new direction for engagement, learning, and action to address the deepening problem of child acute malnutrition. Plain language title: A Relational Approach to the Drivers of Acute Malnutrition Plain language summary: This article introduces a new approach to understanding the causes of child acute malnutrition that differs from the traditional methods in 2 key ways. First, it goes beyond focusing solely on individuals and households by examining the underlying and basic causes. Secondly, it adopts a relational perspective in analyzing the causes. The traditional approach to studying the causes of acute malnutrition identifies malnourished individuals and examines their personal and household characteristics. In contrast, the relational approach looks at how the connections between people, their livelihoods, and the environment, influenced by systems and institutions, contribute to the development of acute malnutrition while also creating better conditions for some others. To illustrate this approach, the article presents findings from 2 communities in West Darfur, Sudan. It examines the Darfur context, including the policy and institutional context that has contributed to ethnic polarization and multiple conflicts and led to humanitarian crises. The article compares these 2 communities, focusing on their livelihood specializations, losses related to conflict, and changes in livelihood strategies over time. The article argues that by concentrating on the basic drivers of acute malnutrition, particularly the institutional structures, processes, and relationships, we can gain a deeper understanding of the issue. This approach can make the analysis of child acute malnutrition more meaningful and provide new insights for addressing this pressing problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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