This thesis focuses on the identification of ecohydrological processes in nested system of catchments in a tropical alpine (the wet Andean páramo) ecosystem. We accomplish this by conducting a water stable isotopic characterization of water sources, an evaluation of the mean transit time (MTT) of streams waters, and the investigation...
One in four Ecuadorians do not have access to health services; while more than two-thirds have no health insurance and insufficient resources to pay for the health care services they might require. The following three studies examined utilization of health care services using Andersen’s Health Care Utilization Behavior Theory. Secondary...
This thesis explores a three month period that I spent abroad working in medical clinics and hospitals in Ecuador. My work was conducted in three distinct areas: the urban landscape of Quito, Ecuador’s capital; Puyo, a small town bordering the Amazonian rainforest; and a small community located in the heart...
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a targeted intervention for community control of Ascariasis was carried out in three rural communities near Quito, Ecuador. Targeted treatment with Paico (Chenopodium ambrosioides) and Albendazole (ABZ) was applied to children aged 5 to 15 years attending primary local schools in Aglla, Checa and Iguinaro. Prevalence...
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for
studying the food preparation process was conducted in four households in an
environmentally poor urban neighborhood of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The analysis
consisted of observing all of the steps in the food preparation process, measuring
food temperatures at each step, and...
The number of people traveling to other countries to volunteer for conservation or humanitarian projects has increased dramatically in the past three decades. Despite substantial interest in volunteer tourism, few researchers have examined: (a) the role of promotional material (e.g., brochures, internet websites) in motivating volunteers; (b) factors that attract...
Over the last 25 years structural adjustment programs have challenged Ecuador's ability to provide adequate social services and employment opportunities. In the wake of these policies, many women have turned to non-governmental agencies for possible solutions and assistance. Empowerment programs as a form of development work in particular have been...
Around the globe, an array of alternative agrifood movements has emerged largely in response to the ecological and socio-economic threat caused by industrialized agricultural processes. From organic agriculture, to Slow Food, Locavore, and the Food Sovereignty movement, people around the world are reasserting their right to healthy and culturally appropriate...
During the Late Pre-Hispanic period, settlements in Northern Highland Ecuador were organized under a number of chiefdoms. While a basic hierarchical political system is described in the ethnohistoric literature, the nature of the interactions between specific settlements has remained unknown. This study utilizes two methods for describing the degree and...
After decades of expert-based modernization efforts that have had profound negative impacts on human and environmental health, Ecuador is currently pursuing a rights-based, participatory development paradigm known as sumak kawsay or "the good life". Despite its promises of inclusion and interculturality, this approach continues to rely on highly trained specialists,...