Aspects of anthropometric evaluation of malnutrition in childhood

The evaluation of malnutrition by the use of anthropometry poses considerable problems if any meaningful information is to be acquired, particularly on individual children. It is possible to formulate reference values (17), for height and weight taking age into account, or perhaps as a simple ratio but there may be little relation between the assessment of malnutrition by this means and functional impairment. It is suggested in this paper that anthropometry in this context should include length or stature, weight, skinfold thicknesses (triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) and circumferences (head, upper arm, upper thigh). The reference values to be used in the assessment of malnutrition are not very satisfactory, and there are objections to the simple use of the NCHS (9) data. It would be more desirable to use values obtained on "well-fed" indigenous populations, although these hardly exist at the present time. Well-controlled surveys are urgently needed on length or stature, weight, skinfolds, and circumferences of appropriate populations if anthropometric evaluation of malnutrition is to be anything other than a crude assessment. At a more complex level, the relationship of these anthropometric variables to various functional tests also needs investigation.