title: Social protection networks in Central America and the Dominican Republic: Do they have a nutritional dimension?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is not known whether the social protection networks in the Central American subregion and the Dominican Republic have a nutritional dimension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether the social protection networks in Central America and the Dominican Republic have a nutritional dimension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was conducted during 2009 of 110 social protection programs and 10 national plans in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the social protection programs did not have a nutritional dimension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With few exceptions, the social protection programs were not prepared to prevent undernutrition. There may be a similar situation in other regions. It is recommended to incorporate the nutritional dimension into all social protection programs and social safety nets in Central America and the Dominican Republic as well as in all other countries with low-income populations, worldwide.
authors.affiliation: World Food Programme, Regional Office, Panama City, Panama. Angela.Cespedes@wfp.org
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cespedes
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lechtig
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Francischi
mesh_terms: D002489:Central America / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005522:Food Services; D006078:Government Programs; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009313:National Health Programs; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D011640:Public Policy; D012944:Social Support