A Nutrition Field Experience with the City of Houston Health Department, Houston, Texas

This thesis relates observations and experiences during a seven-week nutrition field experience with the city of Houston Health Department during the spring of 1973. The field experience provided an opportunity for supplementing previous work experience and for evaluating developing capacities in the application of nutrition theory to the unique health needs of a community. During this field experience the author primarily studied the diversified nutrition services available in the community and investigated the feasibility of developing a community nutrition organization to coordinate nutrition services within Houston and Harris County. Because the development of such an organization did not have the full support of the nutritionists or the administrators in the area, it was recommended that a community nutrition organization to coordinate nutrition services in the community should not be attempted at this time but considered as a long-range goal. Three short-range goals for the interim that, if achieved, could help in the coordination of community nutrition services in the future were also recommended. Through this project the author was introduced to the totality of the community\u27s nutritional health needs and services and was given experience in the administrative role of the public health nutritionist. Through this field experience an understanding of both the relationship of public health programs to other community health programs and nutrition\u27s role in the public health program has been gained. The author now realizes the importance of both interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary health planning to meet the health and nutrition needs of a rapidly expanding urban community