Age at menarche and the weight-for-height index

The use of nominal and adjusted weight-for-height values using Tanner-Whitehouse standards and US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standards was evaluated in a sample of 800 black rural primary schoolchildren aged 12-17 years. The study showed that nominal weight-for-height values for adolescents need adjusting to control for pubertal physiological developments when using Tanner-Whitehouse standards or NCHS reference series. It is suggested that in nutritional studies involving adolescents, especially in developing countries, the age at menarche be determined to ensure accurate calculation of the weight-for-height index and correct classification of children by the index, and that researchers should mention in their methodology whether the weight-for-height values presented are nominal values or adjusted values.