Developing applied policy analysis skills requires a combination of several areas including thematic knowledge, statistical data analysis, and strategic thinking to identify when alternative policies are requireds. That analysis must be founded on sound theory that provides an inferential basis for evaluating, refining, and sometimes rejecting the exiting policy and program interventions. This book provides that core information in a format that provides not only the concept behind the method, but case-study applications giving the reader valuable, practical knowledge.
Book Features
- Identify proper analysis method, apply to available data, develop appropriate policy.
- Demonstrates analytical techniques using real-world scenario application to illustrate approaches for accurate evaluation improving understanding of practical application development.
- Tests reader comprehension of the statistical and analytical understanding vital to the creation of solutions for food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty-related nutrition issues using hands-on exercises.
Section I Food Security Policy Analysis 1
1 Introduction to food security: concepts and measurement 5
2 Implications of technological change, post-harvest technology and technology adoption for improved food security - application of t-statistic 17
3 Effects of commercialization of agriculture (shift from traditional crop to cash crop) on food consumption and nutrition - application of chi-square statistic 39
4 Effects of technology adoption and gender of household head: The issue, its importance in food security - application of Cramer's V and phi coefficient 61
5 Changes in food consumption patterns: The issue and its importance to food security - application of one-way ANOVA 73
6 Impact of market access on food security - application of factor analysis 89
Section II Nutrition Policy Analysis 113
7 Impact of maternal education and care on preschoolers' nutrition - application of two-way ANOVA 121
8 Indicators and causal factors of nutrition - application of correlation analysis 141
9 Effects of individual, household and community indicators on child's nutritional status - application of simple linear regression 155
10 Maternal education and community characteristics as indicators of nutritional status of children - application of multivariate regression 175
Section III Special Topics on Poverty, Nutrition and Food Policy Analysis 199
11 Predicting child nutritional status using related socioeconomic variables - application of discriminant function analysis 201
12 Measurement and determinants of poverty - application of logistic regression models 229
13 Classifying households on food security and poverty dimensions- application of K-mean cluster analysis 265
14 Household care as a determinant of nutritional status - application of instrumental variable estimation 279
15 Achieving an ideal diet - modeling with linear programming 291
Technical Appendices 307
1 Introduction to software access and use 309
2 Software information 313
3 SPSS/PC+ environment and commands 315
4 Data handling 323
5 SPSS programming basics 331
6 Anthropometric indicators - computation and use 345
7 Elements of matrix algebra 351
8 Some preliminary statistical concepts 357
9 Instrumental variable estimation 361
Statistical tables 367
References 381
Index 397
Product Details
- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Publisher: Academic Press (June 5, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0123747120
- ISBN-13: 978-0123747129
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches