2. The Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program

A three-country longitudinal study entitled "Food Intake and Human Function," the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (NCRSP) ¹ enabled the study of about 250 households in each of the countries. We observed three cohorts of children of different ages, their biologic parents and, to a more limited extent, other household members. Food intake, growth, morbidity and a number of household and environmental characteristics were followed longitudinally for one to two years. This design allowed us to observe growth patterns over time and over the range of childhood stages of growth and development. It also provided the opportunity to study mothers before, during and after a pregnancy, and their newborns for at least the first 6 months of life. Parallel studies in Egypt, Kenya and Mexico were carried out simultaneously. The results of the Mexico study pertaining to stunting are presented in the previous chapter, and the findings of the Egypt study are briefly summarized in this paper. Infants were not followed continuously to school age or adolescence, but three cohorts of children of different age groups were followed concurrently.

1 Funded by Office of Nutrition, USAID: Grant No. DAN-1309-ss-1070-00 and Cooperative Agreement DAN-1309-A-00-9090-00.