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Indices and clinical signs for assessing malnutrition and when to use them
In module 1, you have briefly learnt the four main anthropometric indices
to use to define malnutrition: weight-for-height/length, height/length-for-age,
weight-for-age, and MUAC and the clinical signs, e.g. oedema. This section
describes each of these.
Weight-for-height/length
It shows body weight in relation to height or length, and does not require
the child’s age. Comparison with that of an average healthy child of
the same length identifies children who are wasted and have acute malnutrition.
As you can see from the illustration, the median weight of boys, who are
96.0 cm tall, is 14.3kg. If a boy is 96.0cm and 11.0kg, his weight is
below -3SD from the weight of an average healthy child of the same height/length.
His weight-for-height SD score indicates that he has SAM.
The weight-for-height index is more time-consuming than the others and requires
more skill and equipment, but can be used for children of all ages. It
is used in surveys to assess prevalence of wasting and may be used in
hospitals and clinics.
