Weight-for-length/height growth curves for children and adolescents in China in comparison with body mass index in prevalence estimates of malnutrition.
BACKGROUND
It is important to update weight-for-length/height growth curves in China and re-examine their performance in screening malnutrition.


OBJECTIVE
To develop weight-for-length/height growth curves for Chinese children and adolescents.


METHODS
A total of 94 302 children aged 0-19 years with complete sex, age, weight and length/height data were obtained from two cross-sectional large-scaled national surveys in China. Weight-for-length/height growth curves were constructed using the LMS method before and after average spermarcheal/menarcheal ages, respectively. Screening performance in prevalence estimates of wasting, overweight and obesity was compared between weight-for-height and body mass index (BMI) criteria based on a test population of 21 416 children aged 3-18.


RESULTS
The smoothed weight-for-length percentiles and Z-scores growth curves with length 46-110 cm for both sexes and weight-for-height with height 70-180 cm for boys and 70-170 cm for girls were established. The weight-for-height and BMI-for-age had strong correlation in screening wasting, overweight and obesity in each age-sex group. There was no striking difference in prevalence estimates of wasting, overweight and obesity between two indicators except for obesity prevalence at ages 6-11.


CONCLUSIONS
This set of smoothed weight-for-length/height growth curves may be useful in assessing nutritional status from infants to post-pubertal adolescents.
a Department of Growth and Development , Capital Institute of Pediatrics , Beijing , PR China.
Xinnan
X
Zong
a Department of Growth and Development , Capital Institute of Pediatrics , Beijing , PR China.
Hui
H
Li
a Department of Growth and Development , Capital Institute of Pediatrics , Beijing , PR China.
Yaqin
Y
Zhang
a Department of Growth and Development , Capital Institute of Pediatrics , Beijing , PR China.
Huahong
H
Wu
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
Weight-for-height; body mass index; growth curve; malnutrition; weight-for-length