DR. ANABELLE BONVECCHIO ARENAS


Education:

  • 2013 – Doctorate in Public Health Sciences, National Institute of Public Health.
  • 1999 – Master in Public Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
  • 1996 – Bachelor in Nutrition and Dietetics, with Magna Cum Laude honors. Central University of Venezuela.

Academic appointments: 

  • Director of Research in Nutrition Policies and Programs.
  • National System of Researchers, Level II.
  • Researcher in Medical Sciences D.
  • Professor at the Mexican School of Public Health. Master and doctoral levels, including the courses on the design, monitoring, and evaluation of nutrition programs.

Research interests:

  • Studies to improve maternal and child health and nutrition.
  • Design and evaluation of interventions to improve breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and the use and consumption of micronutrient supplements.
  • Prevention of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity in vulnerable populations, mainly socially disadvantaged and indigenous groups.

Featured projects: 

  • Joint FAO-PAHO / WHO-UNICEF initiative to reduce all forms of malnutrition in children and adolescents (Current). UNICEF funding.
  • Evaluation of the Design of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Chronic Malnutrition 2016-2020 of Guatemala (2019). Financing Save The Children.
  • Palatability and acceptance of nutritional supplements in infants and young children: quantitative and qualitative indicators in the field (Current). GAIN financing.
  • Pilot Design of MHealth Strategy for Prevention of the Triple Burden of Malnutrition: Chronic Malnutrition, Micronutrient Deficiency and Childhood Obesity (Current). GAIN financing.
  • Pilot Design of MHealth Strategy for Prevention of the Triple Burden of Malnutrition: Chronic Malnutrition, Micronutrient Deficiency and Childhood Obesity (Current). Funding from UNICEF.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • Armando García-Guerra, Lynnette M Neufeld, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Ana C FernándezGaxiola, Fabiola Mejía-Rodríguez, Raquel García-Feregrino, Juan A Rivera-Dommarco (2019). Closing the Nutrition Impact Gap Using Program Impact Pathway Analyses to Inform the Need for Program Modifications in Mexico’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program. The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue Supplement_1, 2281S–2289S.
  • Florence L Théodore, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Armando García-Guerra, Ilian Blanco García, Rocío Alvarado, Cloe J Rawlinson, Lynnette M Neufeld, Gretel H Pelto (2019). Sociocultural Influences on Poor Nutrition and Program Utilization of Mexico’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue Supplement_1, 2290S–2301S.
  • Lynnette M Neufeld, Armando García-Guerra, Amado D Quezada, Florence Théodore, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Clara Domínguez Islas, Raquel Garcia-Feregrino, Amira Hernandez, Arantxa Colchero, Jean Pierre Habicht (2019). A Fortified Food Can Be Replaced by Micronutrient Supplements for Distribution in a Mexican Social Protection Program Based on Results of a ClusterRandomized Trial and Costing Analysis, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue Supplement_1, 2302S–2309S.
  • Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Wendy González, Florence L Théodore, Ana Lilia LozadaTequeanes, Armando Garcia-Guerra, Rocio Alvarado, Ana C Fernández-Gaxiola, Cloe J Rawlinson, Alejandría Villa de la Vega, Lynnette M Neufeld (2019). Translating Evidence-Based Program Recommendations into Action: The Design, Testing, and Scaling Up of the Behavior Change Strategy EsIAN in Mexico, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue Supplement_1, December 2019, 2310S–2322S.
  • Wendy Gonzalez, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Armando García-Guerra, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Alejandría Villa de la Vega, Laura Quezada, Cynthia Rosas, Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes, Amira Hernández (2019). An Iterative Process for Training Design and Implementation Increased Health Workers’ Knowledge for Taking Nutrition Behavior Change to Scale, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue Supplement_1, 2323S–2331S.
  • Theodore F, Moreno-Saracho JE, Bonvecchio A (corresponding), Morales-Ruan MC, TolentinoMayo L, López-Olmedo N, Shamah-Levy T, Rivera JA. Lessons learned and insights from the implementation of a food and physical activity policy to prevent obesity in Mexican schools: An analysis of nationally representative survey results. Plos One, 2018:13(6): 1-12
  • Jimenez-Aguilar A, Morales-Ruán C, López-Olmedo N, Théodore F, Moreno-Saracho J, TolentinoMayo L, Bonvecchio A,
 Hernández-Avila M, Rivera J, and Shamah-Levy T. The fight against overweight and obesity in school children: Public policy in Mexico. Journal of Public Health Policy. 2017:38(4): 407-428.
  • Marieke Vossenaar , Alison Tumilowicz, Alexis D’Agostino, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas , Ruben Grajeda, Cholpon Imanalieva, Laura Irizarry, Generose Mulokozi, Minarto Noto Sudardjo, Narantsetseg Tsevegsuren and Lynnette M. Neufeld. Experiences and learning for continual program improvement micronutrient powders interventions. Matern Child Nutr. 2017;13(S1):e12496.
  • Ietje Reerink , Alia Poonawala, Sorrel Namaste, Christina Nyhus Dhillon, Nancy Aburto, Deepika Chaudhery , Hou Kroeun, Marcia Griffiths, Mohammad Raisul Haque, Anabelle Bonvecchio, Maria Elena Jefferds , Rahul Rawat. Experiences and lessons learned for delivery of micronutrient powders interventions. Matern Child Nutr. 2017;13(S1):e12495.
  • Swigart T; Bonvecchio A (corresponding); Théodore F; Zamudio-Haas S; Villanueva MA; Thrasher J. Breastfeeding intentions, practices, beliefs, and social norms in low-resource communities in Mexico: Insights for how to improve future promotion strategies. PlosOne 2017:12(7): 1-22