Abstract

FIGUEROA PEDRAZA, Dixis. Participative surveillance of food security in a Cuban community. Rev. salud pública [online]. 2005, vol.7, n.1, pp.39-55. ISSN 0124-0064.

OBJECTIVE: To apply and to evaluate the Rapid Participatory Appraisal method to the specific conditions of Cayo Hueso community, with the purpose of surveillance and improving the community Food Security, and to elaborate a proposal of methodological guidelines, to adapt the methodology to the Havana communities condition. METHODS:Research was carried out using qualitative information through the Rapid Participatory Appraisal method, adapted to the specific conditions of the community and to our objectives. RESULTS: The food and nutritional problems appear between those with high-priority and with better conditional solutions for their execution. A proposal of methodological guidelines, adapted to the conditions of the communities’ studie and to the objectives of the Food and Nutritional Security concept, was designed. From the methodological point of view the main difficulties can be in the development of abilities for the semi structured surveys for key informants and focal groupsd and in the elaboration of the action plan. CONCLUSIONS:The Rapid Participatory Appraisal method was useful in obtaining information on the problems that indicate health necessities in the community with the purpose of improving Food and Nutritional Security. The methodological guidelines can be a logical model of performance, for their application in surveillance actions surveillance and to improve the Food and Nutritional Security at the community level.

Keywords : Nutrition; community participation.

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