Applying Qualitative and Social Research Methods in Clinical Nutrition Studies: Experiences from CeSSIAM Guatemala

Abstract (English)

In Latin America, social sciences have a long anthropological tradition documented in studies that raised critical voices in human rights violations in several countries, including Guatemala. In Guatemala, these studies have highlighted the inequality that translates into unfavorable living conditions, and in where childhood malnutrition and obesity have become some of their indicators. Although the country has a significant history of anthropological research, it was with the founding of INCAP, under the leadership of Dr. Nevin Scrimshaw, that anthropologists were incorporated into multidisciplinary work teams, linking food and nutrition research with the social sciences (1)
CESSIAM, “a consistently productive research and training institution”, founded and leaded in Guatemala by Noel Solomons* in the 1980s, also joined the academic research collaboration with professionals from social disciplines into clinical nutrition studies (2)(3). This generated new discoveries, as well as challenges in reconciling two fields of science coming from different paradigms but with common goals.
Five research experiences approved by an ethics committee and led by CESSIAM in Guatemala were revised. Research topics included nutrition during breastfeeding, pregnancy, and nutritional environments. Social research methods such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, participant observations, and transects were applied. In addition quantitative methods such as surveys, anthropometric assesments, and dietary recalls were used. Research teams formed by nutritionists, medical and public health students, both national and international collected information
This presentation will share the opportunities and challenges learned during the collection, interpretation, and presentation of those studies findings, as well as the complementarity of both sciences and the conditions that can enable the application of social research methods in clinical nutrition studies.

*Noel W. Solomons (1944-2024) was an exceptional North American researcher and scientist who lived in Guatemala for most of his life. His inexhaustible energy produced more than 600 peer-reviewed publications related to health and nutrition (3). He was known for his innovative approach, for mentoring hundreds of young professionals, and for his generosity toward those he believed were in difficult or disadvantaged situations.