Investigating the nutrition transition in rural regions of low- and middle-income countries: the case of three senegalese villages

Lucie Vanhoutte, Ined
Géraldine Duthé, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Samuel Pavard, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
Emmanuel Cohen, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle

The nutrition transition encompasses intricate upheavals in economic structures, dietary norms, epidemiologic profiles and relevance of the healthcare system. It has unfolded in industrialised countries, and urban areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly under scrutiny as they embark upon a similar, arguably accelerated path. However, studies of rural populations in LMICs are scarce, because of their relative isolation from globalisation. In addition, these populations are often out of reach, for they do not always have a statistical existence. In this study, we propose that rural parts of Senegal may be undergoing an unreported nutrition transition. We investigate this hypothesis thanks to a set of data offered by the Health and Demographic Surveillance System of Senegal, allowing us to study mortality in three rural areas of Senegal, including causes of death. We analyse the trends in mortality possibly caused by epidemiological profiles associated with the nutrition transition.