This project focused on the historical and epidemiological transitions in urban Caribbean foodscapes and aims to understanding the past to enhance future healthy eating practices.
The projects built interdisciplinary methodological capacity to tackle this challenge. Based in Kingston (Jamaica) and Port-au-Prince (Haiti) this project explored the ways cities impact on their populations’ food practices and opportunities and subsequent health outcomes.
The project was funded by the MRC AHRC Global Public Health Partnership Awards Scheme (MR/R024324/1).
We are also undertaking a small project as a follow up that aims to undertake multilevel modelling analysis with Jamaican epidemiological and ecological data with a focus on evidence-building for the design of healthy places. Using a multilevel modelling framework and newly created data on the geo-location of fast food outlets throughout Jamaica and the Jamaican Health and Lifestyle Survey III (JHLS III), this analysis will examine the role of gender and the local food environment on diabetes and obesity in Jamaica. We will use this collaboration to contribute to building a gender and place-based network of nutrition research in the region, for example through workshops and virtual platforms. This project is led by Prof Karyn Morrissey.
