Original Research
Development of a Zimbabwean child growth curve and its comparison with the World Health Organization child growth standards
Submitted: 05 October 2021 | Published: 13 September 2022
About the author(s)
Anesu Marume, School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and Ministry of Health and Child Care Zimbabwe, Health Promotion, Government of Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweArchary Moherndran, Department of Padeatrics, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa
Partson Tinarwo, School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Saajida Mahomed, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Abstract
Background: There is limited research that describes the growth trajectories of African children. The development of World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards considered a sample of children who lived in environments optimum for human growth.
Aim: This study aimed to develop weight-for-age and height-for-age growth curves from the Zimbabwean 2018 National Nutrition Survey and compare them with the WHO growth standards.
Setting: Study participants were recruited from all districts in Zimbabwe.
Methods: Height-for-age and weight-for-age data collected from 32 248 children were used to develop the Zimbabwean references. Smooth growth curves (height, weight and body mass index [BMI]-for-age) were estimated with the Lambda Mu Sigma (LMS) method and compared with the WHO growth standards.
Results: Zimbabwean children were shorter and weighed less in comparison with the WHO growth standards. The –2 standard deviation (s.d.) Z-score curves (height-for-age) for Zimbabwean children (boys and girls) were below the –1 s.d. Z-score curves of the WHO growth standards. The Zimbabwean Z-scores (BMI-for-age) values above –1 s.d. were significantly higher in comparison with the corresponding WHO growth standards.
Conclusion: Utilising the WHO growth standards would diagnose a higher proportion of Zimbabwean children as stunted whilst underestimating the proportion at risk of obesity. The WHO growth standards lack a consideration of the geographical, economic, political and environmental constraints existing between countries.
Keywords
Metrics
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Crossref Citations
1. Birth weight and nutritional status in school‐age children from Boane city, Mozambique
Eulálio Malinga, Carol Góis Leandro, Fernanda Trigueiro de Almeida Araujo, Rafael dos Santos Henrique, Mario Eugénio Tchamo, Wylla Tatiana Ferreira e Silva
American Journal of Human Biology vol: 36 issue: 8 year: 2024
doi: 10.1002/ajhb.24072