Community Nutrition

COMMUNITY NUTRITION 3 (1+2)

Lesson 3 : Analysis and Interpretation of Anthropometric data

Standards

Types of Standards available are

1. Local standards developed by ICMR
2. International standards.
3. Hardvard Standards- based on well nourished children in Boston in 1930s.
4. Standards used in Road to health card- based on homogenous group of British children.
5. NCHS (U.S. national Centre for Health Sciences) - based on economically and ethnically heterogeneous U.S. child population.
6. WHO (1998) international standards.

Limitations in the use of local standards

1. Improvement in nutrition in a country changes the standards itself.
2. Time consuming
3. Expensive
4. Difficult to derive

There is good evidence from various research studies from different parts of the world that ethnic differences in growth are minimal. Hence, use of a common international reference standards appears to be strong.

Criteria followed for development of a standard

1. Measurement should be related to a well nourished population.
2. Sample should include at least 200 individuals in each age and sex group.
3. The sample should be cross sectional, since the comparisons made will be of cross sectional in nature.
4. Sampling procedure should be well defined and reproducible.
5. Measurements should be carefully made and recorded by trained people in anthropometric techniques, using equipment of well tested, designed and calibrated at frequent intervals.