TRENDS IN HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS IN NIGERIA, INDIA, AND BRAZIL (1960-1990)

The present study compared and analysed the nutritional and economic situations in Nigeria, India, and Brazil over the three-decades between 1960 and 1990. Intra-country comparisons were undertaken for each country. The various indicators studied included among others the gross national product, total external debt, population, literacy, immunization, daily calorie intake, mortality, and life expectancy. It was noted that the economic situation influences the social and general health indicators of a country. Positive economic growth can lead to improved social development as well as diet and general health conditions. The opposite is also true, when economic growth is poor. The relationship between economic growth, and social and general health indicators is, however, not always applicable. This happens when the government fails to distribute incomes fairly; improvements in the country's social development, with nutritional and health indicators, does not occur. These findings call for a larger comparative study of the economic, social and health indicators for all the countries in the world.