Abstract

ALVAREZ URIBE, Martha Cecilia; LOPEZ GAVIRIA, Amalia  and  ESTRADA RESTREPO, Alejandro. Concordance between Z scores from WHO 2006 and the NCHS 1978 growth standards of children younger than five. Antioquia-Colombia. Perspect Nut Hum [online]. 2008, vol.10, n.2, pp.177-187. ISSN 0124-4108.

Objective: to establish the concordance between the Z scores of weight for age, length/height for age and weight for length/height from the 2006 WHO and 1978 NCHS growth standards for children under five years of age. Methods: this is cross- sectional study. Sample: subjects were randomly selected which were participating in a Food Complementation Program in Antioquia (n=2.290). The anthropometric indicators were calculated using the WHO and NCHS growth standard references. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to estimate the concordance between the growth standards and the concordance was calculated using the Bland and Altman method. Results: there was a high and significant correlation between 2006 WHO Z scores and 1978 NCHS growth standards. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed also a high concordance values. The Bland and Altman method confirm an average difference in Z scores for weight/height of 0, 30 (CI95% -0, 09 and 0,698) and for weight for age of 0.21 (CI95% -0, 12; 0,532). Conclusion: the 2006 WHO and 1978 NCHS growth standards demonstrate a high correlation and concordance, although they are no exchangeable due to the concordance limits do not include the established ranges for this study.

Keywords : anthropometry; nutritional status; growth; body height; body weigth; infant; child.

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