Food for Thought: The Effectiveness of Inpatient Malnutrition Treatment in the Case of Nutre Hogar in Panama

A nonprofit nongovernmental organization named Nutre Hogar was founded in 1988 to address the high prevalence of child malnutrition in Panama. Given the context specific nature of malnutrition treatment models, this paper evaluates whether or not Nutre Hogar’s inpatient treatment model is suited to the Panamanian context and whether an alternative model might be more effective. Quantitative data about physical outcomes of treatment were collected from a Nutre Hogar logbook, and interviews with parents of patients and Nutre Hogar staff members were conducted to gather qualitative data on community perceptions of Nutre Hogar. While children gained weight throughout their stay, they left the center still moderately malnourished, raising concerns about the efficacy of treatment. Recommendations include incorporating elements of other malnutrition treatment protocols into Nutre Hogar’s current program, as well as focusing on sustainable solutions for preventing malnutrition in children under five years of age in Panama.