›› 2014, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (5): 442-445.

• Original Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The comparison of wasting, stunting, low weight, and overweight rate in infants by using the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards and China Growth Standards 

KANG Yu, LIANG Xiaohua, LI Tingyu, LIU Youxue   

  1.  (Children Nutrition Research Center;Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders;Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders; Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing; Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders;400023 Chongqing, China)
  • Received:2013-11-01 Online:2014-05-15 Published:2014-05-15

Abstract:  Objective To compare the 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and the 2005 China national growth standards for identification of the wasting, stunting, low weight and overweight in infants. Methods Data were drawn from “Infants’ feeding and growth” project. Weight-for-length, weight-for-age and length-for-age were derived in z-scores using the two growth references. Stunting was defined as having a length-for-age Z-score less than -2. Low weight was defined as having a weight-for-age Z-score less than -2. Wasting was defined as having a weight-for-length Z-score less than -2. Over weight was defined as having a weight-for-length Z-score more than +2. Results Data of a total of 3909 records from 959 health children aged from 2 to 12 months from June 2008 to May 2009 were analyzed. Of them, 53.88%(2106/3909)were from male and 46.12% (1803/3909)were from female. There was no difference in wasting rate and stunting rate between using two growth references. Fewer infants were identified as low weight by using WHO growth standard than using China growth standard. The results were 0.57% at 0-3 months (0.85% vs.1.42), P>0.05, 0.72% at 4-6 months (0.39% vs. 1.11%) and 0.97% at 7-9 months (0.79% vs.1.76%), P<0.05. They were equivalent at 10-12 months (1.3% vs.1.3%), P=1.00. Oppositely, more infants were identified as overweight by using WHO growth standard than using China growth standard in our study. The results were 2.9 times at 0-3 months (6.54% vs. 3.13%), 2.12 times at 4-6 months (9.02% vs.4.25%) and 1.62 times at 7-9 months (7.11% vs. 4.39%) , P<0.05. It was 1.37 times at 10-12 months(4.84% vs. 3.54%)without statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion Some differences were found in low weight and overweight rate by using two growth standards. Infant low weight rate was lower and overweight rate was higher by using WHO growth standard than that using China growth standard.