Malnutrition And Food Aid Programs: A Case Study From Guatemala Page: 21
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weight-for-height-for-age, can be found in Jelliffe (1966). One major
advantage of this measure is that it reveals chronic malnutrition
(stunting) which is masked by other measures of the acute nutritional
state. Since it examines both weight and height in the context of age,
this allows the investigator to view the experimental population in a
global perspective. It is criticized, though, for being age dependent,
as the stated age of the informant is often inaccurate enough to give
a false measurement of the actual nutritional status. It is calculated
by dividing the observed weight (wtobs) by the observed height (htobs)
of the individual and, then, dividing the result of the observed
measurements by the ratio of the standardized weight (wtstd) to the
standardized height (htstd), both corresponding to the specific age
of that individual. This result is then multiplied by 100 in order to
give the "percent normal," with 100% being equal to normal nutritional
status. The formula is:
[ (wt obs/ht ) / (wt /ht ) according to age ] X 100 = percent nor-
obs obs std std
mal. (See the appendices for the remaining percent normal classifica-
tions according to the particular nutritional parameter.)
Age-exclusive weight-for-height is designed to measure acute malnu-
trition (wasting). Descriptions of this index of nutritional status
can be found in Tanner et al. (1966) and National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS 1976). Since it is age independent, it ignores past
stunting and emphasizes the present nutritional state of the individual,
thus, differentiating acute changes. As a result, age-exclusive
weight-for-height provides insight into the nutritional and health
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Rodeheaver, Daniel Gilbert, 1954-; Bates, Frederick L. & Murphy, Arthur D. Malnutrition And Food Aid Programs: A Case Study From Guatemala, report, May 1982; (digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84342/m1/34/: accessed April 24, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library, digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT College of Public Affairs and Community Service.