INE's Evaluation Unit presents research in Puerto Rico and United States
During the month of May, the Evaluation Unit presented at the Fourth Congress of Applied Economics at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez and at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) in Omaha, Nebraska.
This follows the work carried out on Food Safety in alliance with Dr. Uriyoán Colón, SCD, MPA, professor of global health at George Washington University in the United States in 2020.
Since 2020, INE’s Evaluation Unit wanted to know the impact of the pandemic on the food security of the communities where the Montessori public schools project exists in Puerto Rico. Moment in which they join with Dr. Uriyoán Colón to account for this.
The question at that time that made them investigate this topic was, are the boys and girls eating? This was due to the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant school cafeterias as well.
This research had its final publication in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition.
Some data that stood out from this research were:
the increase in applications for government economic assistance programs Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN), Unemployment
59% reported that they consume more food out of fear or anxiety during this period
28% of participants express that there has been a reduction in their purchases of bakery products, followed by fruits and vegetables
a total of 40% of participants experienced food insecurity during the pandemic (compared to 38% before the pandemic)
Likewise, other researchers have taken on the task of carrying out research projects that help understand the impact on nutritional food security in the school communities we serve. From there, a multidisciplinary team on Nutritional Security and Climate Change in Puerto Rico emerged through collaboration with PRoduce, Tais, DietDisparities Lab, The George Washington University, John Hopkins University and INE.
Cesar J. Ostolaza, director of the Evaluation Unit at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) in Omaha, Nebraska.
A study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Program was carried out throughout 2023 to understand the impact of climate change on nutritional security, especially in underserved communities. One of the main objectives is to identify and test viable strategies to increase demand for nutritious and eco-friendly foods among food insecure people.
Also, an analysis was carried out to describe the food insecurity of the sample of the nutritional security and climate change study in Puerto Rico. Where high food insecurity has been found in the communities of Montessori public schools.
Regarding this second investigation, they are analyzing the data and sharing preliminary data on demographic variables that are associated with food security.
"It has been extremely satisfactory for me that as part of the Evaluation and Research Unit team we can explore the issue of food insecurity in Puerto Rico. Given the socioeconomic inequalities that affect our country, it is important to carry out investigations with scientific rigor that allow us to get closer and account for the reality of our communities. Serving the country through education and also through research is a task that we do with a lot of effort and dedication," said Carla Rosas, General Evaluator at INE.
For INE, having an Evaluation Unit is strengthening the Montessori public schools project; it is what allows us to know, explore and make our mission stronger and more real to the communities we serve and the children of Puerto Rico.
A response to studies and statistics like these are school gardens, alliances with the Huellas de Salud Foundation on nutrition and food, workshops for parents on food sustainability, among other school-based projects. That is why we believe that school by school, a better Puerto Rico is possible, and that is what Instituto Nueva Escuela as a non-profit organization works for.