Child Development and Public Health

Several years ago, when I started my first Master’s program, I found myself extremely tired from being constantly on-the-go. After contemplating what I could do to feel better and increase my daily stamina and endurance, I was sure that eating out each day was not helping. After careful thought, I began to change my diet. I began to cook more and eat out less. I began choosing healthy snacks and researching which foods I needed daily for my body to last through a full day of teaching and full night of lectures.

Though I’ve always been an athlete, three years later, I’ve found a healthy balance of eating right and exercising that keeps me energized and ready for whatever comes my way. After developing and reaching my personal goals, I became more interested in teaching others, especially children, how to live a healthy lifestyle. Afterall, how many times do we really have the opportunity to teach Health within our classrooms?

After reading about public health measures in The Developing Person Through Childhood by Kathleen Stassen Berger, I gained curiosity about the state of public health in Africa. I specifically took interest in the state of the nutrition in Africa.

In the United States, we are fortunate to have a MyPyramid that provides detailed information of the types of foods that we give our bodies maximum nutrition. We are also fortunate to have a plethora of resources that provide affordable options for us. When researching nutrition in Africa, I found that they encourage one not to teach about the three different food groups (energy building foods, body-building foods, and protective foods) because some foods belong to more than one group and can provide more minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. Though there is a plethora of information that provides education about nutrition in Africa, there is no organized “pyramid” or similar structure to go by to help the people of Africa develop and maintain healthy nutrition.

In Africa, there are also many factors that affect healthy nutrition in Africa that most people may not experience in the United States. These factors include but are not limited to the fact that Africa is still developing. The economy, agriculture, and the environment are all factors that may affect one’s ability to live a healthy lifestyle. Households are also affected by population growth and the widespread epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

In addition to the focus I have started placing on our health standards, I plan to incorporate the health condition of places like Africa into our lessons. Hopefully, this will help students understand the importance of proper nutrition and encourage them to make healthy choices.