Dissertation Research: Alternative Caregivers Among the White Mountain Apache and Their Impact on Child Health

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9904385Nichter / Sparks This project supports the dissertation research of an anthropology student from the University of Arizona, studying the role and impact of alternative caregivers (not the child's parents) on the health and well-being of the child. The site of the research is the White Mountain Apache, a society that has epidemiological patterns typical of the developing world. The project will explore the roles of and attitudes towards alternative caregivers in one Apache community, and examine how different levels of knowledge, experience, power and resource to resources influence care provision.This research is important because most studies of caregivers focus on parents, yet others commonly provide child care in most societies in the world. This research is important because most studies of caregivers focus on parents, yet others commonly provide child care in most societies in the world. This project will provide information on who is actually caring for young children, both when they are healthy ad sick, and also will examine the reasons for and attitudes towards the use of different caregivers. It will assess how effective various alternative caregivers are (or are not) at protecting and promoting children's health. The new knowledge to be created about the positive and negative aspects of care by different caregivers will help policy makers design programs of health education. In addition the project supports the training of a young social scientist.