SIMPLIFIED FIELD ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS IN EARLY-CHILDHOOD - PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 55  (1) , 79-86
Abstract
A simple and inexpensive method for the field assessment of certain objective indicators of nutritional status in children of preschool age was proposed. The need for statistically valid sample selection was emphasized and a design was presented for randomly selecting 30 children from each of 30 village sites in each region for which quantitative inferences were made to estimate the prevalence of protein-energy undernutrition and anemia. The need to train indigenous paraprofessional workers as assessors and periodically to control their accuracy was stressed. The method was limited to an estimate of the location and magnitude of common childhood malnutrition and it was recommended that it be supplemented by detailed ecological analysis to determine causal factors and propose remedial action.