Health & The Peruvian People: A Brief Intro to my Research

My Research:

Like I said in my last post, the night I became inspired to go on the RARE trip, I sat down and wrote a page and a half on a potential research question. The initial idea was to study the relationship between socioeconomic status and levels of physical activity among Peruvian adults, but inevitably, ideas shift and grow. I expanded on this idea as I began to research more in depth about current Peruvian culture. Something that struck me was an article I read on peruthisweek.com that stated over 40% of Peruvian adults are obese or overweight-- a statistic found in 2013. I did not expect obesity and overweight rates to be so high in a still-developing country like Peru, but studies have shown that obesity in the still-developing world is much more prevalent than in the developed world (keeping in mind that most of the world's population lives in underdeveloped areas).

So what is causing this apparent global epidemic? That's essentially what I want to find out-- what are the factors contributing to rising obesity rates, specifically in Peru? I have developed a survey that will investigate factors such as: exercise tendencies, nutritional practices, substance abuse, and financial status. Along with the survey, I will be asking the research participants to complete body composition measurements such as height, weight, and waist circumference. With height and weight measurements, I will individually calculate BMI (Body Mass Index).

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My progress:

Just last week, my research protocol was approved in the U.S. by the International Review Board, which was a huge step closer to reaching my goals, both short and long term. I am still waiting to hear back from the research ethics board of Peru, so if that goes through I will be clear to carry out this study. I have also ordered all of the equipment I need through an Honors Academy grant!

My Expectations:

Be they lofty, I expect to have at least 100 to 150 participants from Puerto Maldonado (medium size city), Lucerna (small town), and possibly Cusco (largely populated city), but no more than 250 due to my limited amount of storage space during the trip. I hope to use the data collected in presentations at conferences, scholarly papers, and projects. I like to think that taking on my own research as an undergrad is going to make a huge difference in my future as a medical student and eventual doctor-- and though I can't ensure this, I can work diligently and passionately to make it happen.