Organization:  Adventist University of the Philippines

Background/Context:

Malnutrition remains a significant challenge, affecting millions of children worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as the Philippines, where it poses a serious public health concern. According to the World Bank, the country has one of the highest rates of childhood stunting in Asia, ranking fifth in the region and among the top ten globally for the number of stunted children.   

The first five years of life are crucial for children’s growth and development. Nutritional deficiencies during this period are strongly linked to wasting, underweight, and stunting, which can have long-term consequences. In the Philippines, the prevalence of stunting among children under five ranges from 20.7% to 54%. Alarmingly, one in three children in the country is stunted, a condition that can become irreversible after the age of two and may even be life-threatening.  According to UNICEF, 95 Filipino children die each day due to malnutrition, highlighting the severe impact of this crisis. As of 2019, 29% of children under five were stunted, 19% were underweight, and 6% were wasted—or were underweight for their height. According to the World Health Organization, these levels of undernutrition represent a “very high” public health concern. The persistence of high malnutrition rates over the past three decades highlights the limitations in government interventions and resource allocation. 

Despite efforts, the Philippines fell short in meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing underweight prevalence by 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated food insecurity, disrupting supply chains and limiting access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations. These challenges hinder progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing stunting prevalence by 40% by 2025.  Addressing malnutrition requires a multifaceted approach, including food supplementation, nutrition education, and community-based interventions. As previous studies emphasize, targeted interventions and improved nutrition policies are urgently needed to address the persistent malnutrition crisis in the Philippines. This study has focused in addressing an incidence of local malnutrition in very young children and how it relates with the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the mothers after a nutrition intervention based on Biblical principles. 

Research Question:

1. What were the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers with malnourished children before the Bible-based nutrition intervention was introduced? 
2. Has the Bible-based nutrition intervention improved the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers with malnourished children (age 5 and below)? 
3. Does the feeding intervention have an effect on the BMI and arm circumference of young children one year after its implementation?  
4. What are the factors that contribute to malnutrition among families with young children. 
5. How do mothers in low-resource neighborhoods perceive the nutrition program that teaches practical ways to feed young children as a way to prevent malnutrition and at the same time incorporates Biblical principles?

Study Aims:

1. Assess the nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices mothers of young children (age 5 and below) before and after the intervention program. 
2. Assess the Body Mass Index and arm circumference of children (5 years and below) 
   • before the intervention program 
   • immediately after the intervention program 
   • every 3 months after the intervention program 
3. Solicit feedback from parents about the nutritional education program for young children that incorporates Biblical principles. 

Impact:

1. Family. The insights and the learnings gained from this study will serve as a valuable reference in achieving the goal of eliminating underweight cases within the family.  Learnings from this study will serve as a reference towards a zero underweight member of the family. Participating parents who have limited resources learn practical ways to feed their children, the reason it is important children receive adequate nutrition, and hear the good news about Jesus. 
2. Community 
   • The developed program may serve as a basis for continuous intervention program for malnourished children. 
   • May serve as reference for policy making. 
3. Education Sector – Insights from this study may be included for nutrition education programs. 
4. Research – Source of additional knowledge or inspiration to continue developing nutrition intervention programs to help curve malnutrition in the Philippines. 

Open Positions: Fully Staffed

Timeline:  January 2025 – December 2025

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