On completion of this subject the student should be able to:
1. Explain the particular nutritional requirements of different stages in a human’s life;
2. Understand the laws of food product labelling especially that of nutritional labelling in PNG and international and critically consider the importance of nutritional labelling;
3. Understand the main nutritional (both malnutrition and non-communicable diseases) problems in PNG and the multi-factorial causes of these nutritional problems;
4. Use international anthropometric standards and appreciate why they may not be applicable to Papua New Guineans;
5. Understand the methods used in nutritional research and assessments, and design and participate in a nutrition survey;
6. Understand the intervention techniques operating at different levels (national, provincial and community) within PNG and the contribution of policy and education on nutrition intervention. Apply the multi-sectoral approach in nutrition intervention programs.
Chemical, physical and biochemical changes that occur in foods during processing and storage; Effects of processing, packaging, and cooking on food nutrient composition; Labelling of food products, laws in PNG and world-wide; Nutrification of foods by enrichment and fortification; Nutritional requirements through the life-cycle, particularly during periods of physiological stress: infancy, adolescence, pregnancy, lactation (breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding: Baby Food Supplies (Control) Act (1977), old age, sports; Methods of assessment of nutritional status: indirect and direct – clinical, biochemical, anthropometric and epidemiological studies; Nutrition surveys: cross sectional versus longitudinal; National nutrition surveys in 1978 and 1983; Multi-factorial causes of nutritional problems and disorders in PNG; Protein-energy malnutrition; Stunting/wasting, weight-for-age charts; General anthropometric standards; Field methods of anthropometric measurement; Nutrition interventions to improve nutritional status: policy, planning and education; National food and nutrition policies in PNG, food security.
Whitney, E. N., Sharon, R., Understanding nutrition, Wadsworth Publishing, Belmont, USA, 2011.
Mahan, L. K., Escott-Stump, S., Krause’s food, nutrition and diet therapy, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, USA, 2000.
Garrow, J. S., James, W. P. T., Ralph, A., Human nutrition and dietetics, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, UK, 2000.
Jellife, D. B., The assessment of the nutrition status of the community, WHO Monograph Series No. 53, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, 1966.
Continuous assessment 40%
Written examination 60% (1×3 hrs.)
Phone: +675 473 4999 Fax: +675 475 7776
