Abstract

ALVAREZ CASTANO, Luz Stella; ESTRADA RESTREPO, Alejandro; GOEZ RUEDA, Juan Diego  and  CARRENO AGUIRRE, Cristina. Analysis of anthropometric data of the population under 18 years of age in Medellín using the World Health Organization standards and their adaptation for Colombia proposed by the Ministerio de la Protección Social. Perspect Nut Hum [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.1, pp.33-45. ISSN 0124-4108.

Objective: to compare the results of nutritional assessment of children and adolescents under 18 years of age using the WHO growth standards and the cut-off points proposed by the resolution 2121 of 2010 of the Social Security Ministry of Colombia. Materials and methods: we evaluated the nutritional status by using the indicators height/age and body max index (BMI) in children and adolescents under 18 years of age and weigh/height in children under five belonging to 2719 rural and urban households in Medellin. They were sampled in the study Food and nutritional profile of Medellin 2010 conducted by the municipal government. Results: we found lower prevalence rates of adequate weight/height and BMI in children less than five years of age using the Colombian standards as compared to the WHO standards. BMI for children over 5 years of age behaved similarly. The difference is explained for using different cut-off points and inclusion of new nutritional risk categories. Conclusions: for population-based studies may not be required to introduce the categories of nutritional risk and to change the cut-off points for overweight and obesity set up by the WHO standards given that they are more rigorous than others parameters for evaluating these two nutritional conditions. Related to individual follow-ups it is important to complement anthropometric measure evaluation with social aspects, family history, and rearing habits in children with BMI between 1 and 2 standard deviations.

Keywords : anthropometry; nutrition assessment; nutritional status; growth; body weight; body mass index; World Health Organization; children; adolescent; Colombia.

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