[Application in SPSS of different methods for evaluating undernutrition in children and adolescents]

To introduce the four widely used methods for evaluating undernutrition in children and adolescents in China and internationally, and to compile the corresponding SPSS program package according to the American CDC standard, the IOTF standard and the Chinese industry standard.

The SPSS program package for evaluating undernutrition in children and adolescents was compiled and explained. Based on the growth and development survey data of 62 517 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in 93 primary and secondary schools in 7 provinces and cities in China in 2012, the nutritional deficiency status was judged and compared according to four evaluation methods, and the chi-square test was used to compare the differences between groups, the Bonferroni method was used for pairwise comparisons.

The detection rates of the four evaluation methods were statistically different in the case population(P<0.01). When screening for stunning, the detection rate of the American CDC standard was the highest(3.5%), and the detection rate of the Chinese industry standard was the lowest(0.4%). When screening for wasting, the detection rate of the IOTF standard(11.8%) was significantly higher than those of the other standards. There was little difference between the result of the Chinese industry standard and the American CDC standard, and the detection rate of the WHO standard was the lowest(3.0%).

Given the differences in the result of the four method, the SPSS package developed in this study facilitates the selection and application of appropriate evaluation method for pediatricians, school health staff, and researchers to choose appropriate evaluation method, so that they could identify undernutrition in children and adolescents rapidly and accurately.