The Utility of Cross‐sectional Measurements of Weight and Length for Age in Screening for Growth Failure (Chronic Malnutrition) and Clinically Severe Protein‐energy Malnutrition

The accuracy of identifying children with growth failure and/or clinically severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) from a single measure of length or weight for age from birth to 36 months was determined. Growth data were treated cross-sectionally and compared with National Center for Health Statistics growth standards in order to determine the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of a single cross-sectional measure of weight-for-age or length-for-age in identifying children diagnosed via longitudinal records. Under 6 months of age, neither weight nor length for age was an adequate predictor of growth failure or clinical malnutrition; from 12 to 36 months, screening measures based on anthropometry were much improved. It was concluded that a single measure of weight or length for age taken close to the first birthday could identify up to 78% of the future second and third year cases of clinically severe PEM. Implications and limitations are discussed.