Identifying Childhood Wasting in the Philippines
Author Information
Author(s): Casas Lyle, Uy Jhanna, Ferrer Eldridge, Duante Charmaine, Bahwere Paluku, Galera Rene Gerard Jr., Nkoroi Alice, Noubary Behzad, Mutunga Mueni, Nkomani Sanele, Kupka Roland, Ulep Valerie Gilbert
Primary Institution: Philippine Institute for Development Studies
Hypothesis
What is the best case definition using mid-upper arm circumference and weight-for-age to detect childhood wasting in Filipino children?
Conclusion
The study found that combining weight-for-age with mid-upper arm circumference improves the identification of wasted children in the Philippines.
Supporting Evidence
- The study analyzed data from over 30,000 children to assess the effectiveness of MUAC and WAZ.
- Current MUAC cutoffs were found to poorly identify severe and moderate wasting.
- Combining WAZ with MUAC significantly improved sensitivity for identifying wasting.
- Optimal MUAC cutoffs were identified as <13.6cm for severe and <14.0cm for moderate wasting.
Takeaway
This study helps find better ways to check if kids are not getting enough food by using simple measurements.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the 2018-2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey, focusing on the diagnostic performance of MUAC and WAZ in identifying wasting.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of children due to reliance on MUAC and WAZ, which may not accurately reflect acute malnutrition.
Limitations
The study did not account for the presence of edema and excluded children under 6 months, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 6-59 months, with a slight majority being male (51.8%) and a significant portion living in rural areas (65.9%).
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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