SuSanA discussion – The conceptual framework of under-nutrition. There are several interesting posts in this discussion forum about under-nutrition.
The first post discusses “What are the main causes of under-nutrition?” 
The determinants of under-nutrition are complex and nutritional status is dependent on a wide range of diverse and interconnected factors. At the most immediate level, under-nutrition is the outcome of inadequate dietary intake and repeated infectious diseases.
The underlying causes include food insecurity, inappropriate care practices, poor health sector performance and unsafe environment including access to water, sanitation and hygiene. All these factors result in increased vulnerability to shocks and long term stresses.
The basic determinants of under-nutrition are rooted in poverty and involve interactions between social, political, demographic, and societal conditions. (below: Conceptual framework of undernutrition; ACF (2012) “The Essential: Nutrition and Health” adapted from UNICEF 1990))
