Noé Alfaro

Una experiencia de educación popular en salud nutricional en dos comunidades del Estado de Jalisco, México

Este trabajo, da cuenta de un proceso de Educacion Popular, en dos comunidades del estado de Jalisco Mexico, con el objetivo de introducir el concentrado de Alfalfa en la dieta habitual de los habitantes, como fuente alimentaria alterna, disponible en esas regiones, dado que estudios realizados han demostrado que contiene un alto nivel de proteinas, vitaminas y aminoacidos esenciales, y puede ser utilizado para complementar y mejorar la nutricion de los ninos. Recurso no aprovechado por el desconocimiento relativo de sus propiedades y del procedimiento para su obtencion y por utilizarse como forraje. Se trabajo en cuatro etapas: 1) conocimiento de la comunidad, 2) abordaje comunitario, 3) formacion de grupos de trabajo y 4) programa educativo, con la herramienta del autodiagnostico, en base a dos ejes tematicos: la alimentacion familiar y el concentrado de alfalfa como forma de mejorarla, desarrollados simultaneamente. Se tuvo como resultados que se aceptara el concentrado de alfalfa y se conformaran grupos comunitarios, manteniendose actualmente un tipo de organizacion en cada comunidad.This study describes a popular educational process conducted in two communities in Jalisco, Mexico. The purpose was to add an alfalfa concentrate to the populations diet as an alternative, locally available food source. Previous studies had shown that alfalfa contains high protein, vitamin, and essential amino acid levels and can be useful to supplement and improve child nutrition. This resource had not been used previously due to lack of knowledge concerning its properties and harvesting and processing procedures and because it had traditionally been used as livestock feed. The current study included four steps: 1) community knowledge, 2) a community survey using interviews, home visits, and child nutrition evaluation, 3) formation of work groups in a community meeting, and 4) an educational program, working with a self-diagnostic tool taking child nutritional status into account. Our work focused on two areas simultaneously: family nutrition and the alfalfa concentrate as a way to improve it. Although this process was lengthy, it resulted in the acceptance and inclusion of alfalfa concentrate. In addition, the community groups formed in the process remain as an ongoing organizational resource.

Cuidados alternativos en la atención del embarazo en Jalisco, México

The mothers culture has been identified as a factor in the use of health services for prenatal care. Beliefs and practices concerning traditional and domestic medicine used by women during pregnancy can play a role in the decision to seek medical care. In a non-probabilistic sample of 3,250 women, alternative care during pregnancy and its relationship to satisfactory prenatal care was studied. To analyze the association, the prenatal care variable was divided into (a) satisfactory and (b) unsatisfactory, according to a list of official Mexican standards. The chi-square test and odds ratio were applied, with p < 0.05. The association of alternative care with unsatisfactory prenatal care was established. Psycho-prophylactic training for delivery acted as a protective factor. The culture of pregnant woman in Mexico comprises meaning and behaviors that mix concepts and prescriptive ideas concerning domestic, traditional, and academic medicine, varying according to the stage of pregnancy, and which may be used in exclusive or complementary fashion. This situation should be considered in health education programs.