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The Effects of Poli/cal Marginaliza/on on Childhood Health Minna Sabbahi¹,2, Daniel Hoffman, PhD²
¹Department Poli/cal Science, ²Department of Nutri/onal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Abstract Discussion
Objec1ves & Methodology
• To conduct content analysis and historical studies of poli/cal and health policies of Pales/ne and Brazil
• To demonstrate the correla/on between poli/cal marginaliza/on and deteriora/ng childhood health
• To closely examine sta/s/cal data on weight regula/ons and func/ons
Future Direc1ons Future work must be done to study the efficacy and response of interna/onal policies to the health statuses of marginalized people. In doing so, this research will further develop our understanding of the rela/onship between nutri/on and food policy.
Introduc1on
Acknowledgements This research is funded in part by the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Rutgers University. A special thanks is given to Dr. Daniel Hoffman and to the McNair advisors and staff.
Pales/nians face numerous health complica/ons, due to the policies and blockades established by the Israeli government. Such policies prevent basic needs from being within civilians’ reach. Similarly, in Brazil, the favela, more commonly known as slums or shantytowns, are constantly barred from the poli/cal realm because of racial and socioeconomic bigotries, in turn worsening the quality of childhood health. Poli/cal Marginaliza/on-‐ a process in which individuals are deliberately blocked from enjoying the rights of full ci/zenship and social privileges that include the rights to basic economic and social welfare as well as par/cipa/on in society, including work opportuni/es, educa/on, and fulfillment of basic needs in terms of access to medical aid and food supplies¹
References ¹Giacaman, R. (2001). A community of ci/zens: disability rehabilita/on in the Pales/nian transi/on to statehood. Disability & Rehabilita.on, 23(14), 639-‐644. doi:10.1080/09638280110036544 ²Sawaya, A. L., Mar/ns, P. A., Grillo, L. P., & Florêncio, T. T. (2004). Long-‐term effects of early malnutri/on on body weight regula/on. Nutri.on Reviews, 62(7), 127-‐133. doi:10.1301/nr.2004.jul.S127-‐S133 ³Rahim, H. F. A., Wick, L., Halileh, S., Hassan-‐Bitar, S., Chekir, H., Waj, G., & Khawaja, M. (2009). Maternal and child health in the occupied Pales/nian territory. The Lancet, 373(9667), 967-‐977. doi:10.1016/S0140-‐6736(09)60108-‐2 ⁴Devi, S. (2004). Health under fire. Lancet, 364(9439), 1027-‐1028. 5Perlman, J. E. (2010). Favela : Four decades of living on the edge in Rio de Janeiro. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
Table 1: Nutri1onal Deficiencies in Favela²
Physical and Psychosocial Barriers
Poli1cal Marginaliza1on
Denial of Access to Basic
Needs
Nutri1onal Status
Mental and Physical health
Social Instability
Further Exclusion
Poli1cal Marginaliza1on
Poor Childhood Health
Poli/cal marginaliza/on indirectly affects the totality of health condi/ons of those ostracized. The exclusion of groups from the poli/cal process leads to the denial of access for basic needs, such as medical aid and food supplies. Consequently, this may create nutri/onal deficiencies in children. Demographic characteris/cs indicate which group are excluded and for what purposes. This study aims to offer familiarity in the coexistence between poli/cal marginaliza/on and childhood health by assessing Pales/ne and Brazil as two separate case studies. Through these findings, this study will show the universality of marginaliza/on and the causal pathway to poor childhood health, a factor that limits overall health and long term social and mental development.
Figure 1: Stun1ng in children younger than 5 years in the occupied Pales1nian territory by year and region³ Data from Pales/nian Central bureau of Sta/s/cs. Stun/ng (height-‐for-‐age index) was determined by use of the interna/onal reference popula/on defined by the US Na/onal Center for Disease Control and Preven/on. Children who were below –2 SD from the reference median were classified as stunted, and those who were below –3 SD from the reference median were classified as severely stunted
The analy/cal concept of marginaliza/on, although applied differently around the world, has a global relevance. Any group of individuals, regardless of where they are situated, once marginalized, face various repercussions. The most prominent is childhood health, as demonstrated by the two separate case studies of Pales/ne and Brazil. Both Brazilians and Pales/nians deal with the widespread problem of malnourishment, par/cularly stun/ng, which predisposes those children to long term health effects leading into adulthood. The grave effects on childhood health then trickle down into social instability, violence, poor mental and physical health, which diminishes the quality of life for those ci/zens.
Figure 2: Marginaliza1on Cycle
Nutri/onal Status of Children Under 10 Living in a Slum in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, According to Standard Devia/ons of Weight-‐for-‐age and Height-‐for-‐age as Compared to the NCHS Distribu/on
Results
Pales1ne
Checkpoints
Blockades
Sejlements
Lack of funding
Ongoing conflict
Brazil
Inequality
Discrimina/on
Violence
Misuse of power
Disenchantment à voluntary isola/on5
“A Refugee Diary” By: Najwa Sheikh, 6/3/12
“Majority of Gazans are now dependant on welfare and humanitarian
organisations for food supplies. If any of these organisations were to
experience a sudden funding crisis, many Gazan families would find
themselves begging on the streets.” (UNRWA)
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