Measuring Undernutrition Text adapted from: The World Food Problem Leathers & Foster, 2009 ttp:// Toward-Undernutrition/dp/

Measuring Undernutrition Clinical assessment –Measurements Swelling Eye tests Biochemical assessment –Blood tests Anemia Dietary assessment –Survey of food eaten

Anthropometric Measurements Comparisons made to reference population –Height –Weight –Body Fat –Arm circumference Stunting –Low height for age Underweight –Low weight for age Wasting –Low weight for height Same age girls

Stunting Stunting: low height for age Over 200 million children are stunted –40% of all preschool children in developing countries V145foIlbcw/Kenya jpg

Stunting

Underweight Low weight for age –150 million children are underweight 26% of world’s children

Underweight

Wasted Below normal weight for height 52 million children are wasted Two thirds of these live in Asia –half in South Asia

Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) Easy way to determine undernutrition in preschool children –upper arm circumference doesn’t change much Normal –Over 14 cm Undernourished – cm Severely undernourished –Under 12.5 cm

Undernutrition About 55% of the 11 million deaths among under-five children each year in the developing world are associated with undernutrition