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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Extended composite index of anthropometric failure in Argentinean preschool and school children
I F Bejarano1, E E Oyhenart2,3, M F Torres2
1Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, National University of Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina.
Insights
A new Extended Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (ECIAF) tool assesses both undernutrition and obesity in children. This study found that excess weight contributes significantly to malnutrition in Argentine children, highlighting regional differences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) is limited to children under five and excludes obesity.
- A comprehensive assessment of child malnutrition requires considering both undernutrition and excess weight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and apply an Extended Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (ECIAF) that integrates undernutrition and overweight/obesity.
- To evaluate the prevalence of anthropometric failure using ECIAF in children across six Argentine provinces.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 10,879 children aged 3 to 13.99 years in six Argentine provinces.
- The ECIAF was calculated based on categories of undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight) and excess weight.
Main Results:
- The ECIAF prevalence was 15.1% in preschool children (3-4.99 years) and 28.6% in school children (5-13.99 years).
- Mendoza province exhibited the highest ECIAF rates in both age groups.
- Approximately 25% of malnutrition was attributed to undernutrition, while 75% was due to excess weight.
Conclusions:
- The ECIAF effectively combines undernutrition and excess weight to characterize anthropometric failure in children.
- Excess weight is a major contributor to malnutrition in the studied Argentine population, with significant provincial variations.
- ECIAF provides higher estimates of anthropometric failure compared to traditional CIAF or undernutrition-only metrics.
Objective:
The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) can only be applied to children under 5 years of age and does not contemplate obesity. The aim of this study was to propose an Extended CIAF (ECIAF) that combines the characterization of malnutrition due to undernutrition and excess weight, and apply it in six Argentine provinces.
Design:
ECIAF excludes children not in anthropometric failure (group A) and was calculated from a percentage of children included in malnutrition categories B: wasting only; C: wasting and underweight; D: wasting, stunting and underweight; E: stunting and underweight; F: stunting only; Y: underweight only; G: only weight excess; and H: stunting and weight excess.
Setting:
Cross-sectional study conducted in Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut, Jujuy, Mendoza and Misiones (Argentina).
Participants:
10 879 children of both sexes aged between 3 and 13·99.
Results:
ECIAF in preschool children (3 to 4·99 years) was 15·1 %. The highest prevalence was registered in Mendoza (16·7 %) and the lowest in Misiones (12·0 %). In school children (5 to 13·99 years) ECIAF was 28·6 %. Mendoza also recorded the highest rate (30·7 %), while Catamarca and Chubut had the lowest values (27·0 %). In the whole sample, about 25 % of the malnutrition was caused by undernutrition and 75 % by excess weight.
Conclusions:
The ECIAF summarizes anthropometric failure by both deficiency and excess weight and it highlights that a quarter of the malnutrition in the Argentine population was caused by undernutrition, although there are differences between Provinces (P < 0·05). ECIAF estimates are higher than those of CIAF or under-nutrition.
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