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[Differences in the prevalence of malnutrition resulting from using a national growth reference or an international

Evelia Edith Oyhenart1, Alicia Bibiana Orden

  • 1Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health
|November 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Using an international growth reference significantly increased the detected prevalence of stunting in Argentinian children compared to a national reference. Wasting prevalence remained similar across both references, highlighting the impact of reference choice on nutritional status assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Growth Monitoring
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Accurate growth references are crucial for assessing child nutritional status.
  • International references are widely used but may not reflect local population characteristics.
  • National references may better capture secular trends and population-specific growth patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of stunting and wasting in Argentinian children using international versus national growth references.
  • To evaluate the impact of reference selection on the interpretation of child nutritional status.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 1,470 school-children aged 8-14 years in La Plata, Argentina.
  • Calculation of Z-scores using NHANES I/II (USA) and Argentine Pediatric Society references.
  • Comparison of stunting and wasting prevalences (cutoff: 2 SD below median) using chi-squared tests and odds ratios.

Main Results:

  • The international reference showed a significantly higher prevalence of stunting (OR=5.12) compared to the national reference.
  • Prevalence of wasting was similar between both references.
  • Height-for-age distribution differed, suggesting a positive secular trend in Argentinian children's height.

Conclusions:

  • The choice of growth reference significantly impacts the estimated prevalence of stunting in Argentinian children.
  • A positive secular trend in height may contribute to the observed differences in stunting prevalence.
  • Careful consideration of reference standards is essential for accurate nutritional status assessment in diverse populations.
Abstract

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