International Journal of Epidemiology 2003;32:518-526
© International Epidemiological Association 2003
Special Theme: Nutrition |
The World Health Organization Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition: methodology and applications
Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Dr Mercedes de Onis, Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. E-mail: deonism{at}who.int
Background For decades nutritional surveys have been conducted using various definitions, indicators and reference populations to classify child malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition was initiated in 1986 with the objective to collect, standardize, and disseminate child anthropometric data using a standard format.
Methods The database includes population-based surveys that fulfil a set of criteria. Data are checked for validity and consistency and raw data sets are analysed following a standard procedure to obtain comparable results. Prevalences of wasting, stunting, under- and overweight in preschool children are presented using z-scores based on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/WHO international reference population. New surveys are included on a continuous basis and updates are published bimonthly on the database’s web site.
Results To date, the database contains child anthropometric information derived from 846 surveys. With 412 national surveys from 138 countries and 434 sub-national surveys from 155 countries, the database covers 99% and 64% of the under 5 year olds in developing and developed countries, respectively. This wealth of information enables international comparison of nutritional data, helps identifying populations in need, evaluating nutritional and other public health interventions, monitoring trends in child growth, and raising political awareness of nutritional problems.
Conclusions The 15 years experience of the database can be regarded as a success story of international collaboration in standardizing child growth data. We recommend this model for monitoring other nutritional health conditions that as yet lack comparable data.
Keywords Child growth, malnutrition, global monitoring, stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight, preschool children
Accepted 7 January 2003
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. C. Jenkins, S. J. Scanlan, and L. Peterson Military Famine, Human Rights, and Child Hunger: A Cross-National Analysis, 1990-2000 Journal of Conflict Resolution, December 1, 2007; 51(6): 823 - 847. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. P. Mockenhaupt, K. Reither, P. Zanger, F. Roepcke, I. Danquah, E. Saad, P. Ziniel, S. Y. Dzisi, M. Frempong, P. Agana-Nsiire, et al. Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Infants as a Means of Malaria Control: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Northern Ghana Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., September 1, 2007; 51(9): 3273 - 3281. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Kelishadi, M. M. Gouya, G. Ardalan, M. Hosseini, M. Motaghian, A. Delavari, R. Majdzadeh, A. Heidarzadeh, M. S. Mahmoud-Arabi, M. M. Riazi, et al. First Reference Curves of Waist and Hip Circumferences in An Asian Population of Youths: CASPIAN Study J Trop Pediatr, June 1, 2007; 53(3): 158 - 164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. A. Frank, N. B. Neault, A. Skalicky, J. T. Cook, J. D. Wilson, S. Levenson, A. F. Meyers, T. Heeren, D. B. Cutts, P. H. Casey, et al. Heat or Eat: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Nutritional and Health Risks Among Children Less Than 3 Years of Age Pediatrics, November 1, 2006; 118(5): e1293 - e1302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. J Drake and C. J H Kelnar The evaluation of growth and the identification of growth hormone deficiency Arch. Dis. Child. Ed. Pract., October 1, 2006; 91(3): ep61 - ep67. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Svedberg Declining child malnutrition: a reassessment Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2006; 35(5): 1336 - 1346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Meyers, D. Cutts, D. A. Frank, S. Levenson, A. Skalicky, T. Heeren, J. Cook, C. Berkowitz, M. Black, P. Casey, et al. Subsidized Housing and Children's Nutritional Status: Data From a Multisite Surveillance Study Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, June 1, 2005; 159(6): 551 - 556. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Milman, E. A. Frongillo, M. de Onis, and J.-Y. Hwang Differential Improvement among Countries in Child Stunting Is Associated with Long-Term Development and Specific Interventions J. Nutr., June 1, 2005; 135(6): 1415 - 1422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. J. Hoffman and S.-K. Lee The Prevalence of Wasting, but Not Stunting, Has Improved in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea J. Nutr., March 1, 2005; 135(3): 452 - 456. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M.Z. Anuar Zaini, C.T. Lim, W.Y. Low, and F. Harun Factors affecting Nutritional Status of Malaysian Primary School Children Asia Pac J Public Health, January 1, 2005; 17(2): 71 - 80. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. de Onis, M. Blossner, E. Borghi, R. Morris, and E. A Frongillo Methodology for estimating regional and global trends of child malnutrition Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2004; 33(6): 1260 - 1270. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. E Caulfield, M. de Onis, M. Blossner, and R. E Black Undernutrition as an underlying cause of child deaths associated with diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and measles Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2004; 80(1): 193 - 198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. de Onis, M. Blossner, E. Borghi, E. A. Frongillo, and R. Morris Estimates of Global Prevalence of Childhood Underweight in 1990 and 2015 JAMA, June 2, 2004; 291(21): 2600 - 2606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|