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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Height-for-age z scores increase despite increasing height deficits among children in 5 developing countries
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 100, No. 3, Year 2014
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Description
Background: Growth failure remains a persistent challenge in many countries, and understanding child growth patterns is critical to the development of appropriate interventions and their evaluation. The interpretation of changes in mean height-for-age z scores (HAZs) over time to define catch-up growth has been a subject of debate. Most studies of child growth have been cross-sectional or have focused on children through age 5 y. Objective: The aim was to characterize patterns of linear growth among individuals followed from birth into adulthood. Design: We compared HAZs and difference in height (cm) from the WHO reference median at birth, 12 mo, 24 mo, mid-childhood, and adulthood for 5287 individuals from birth cohorts in Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa. Results: Mean HAZs were <0 at birth in the 3 cohorts with data and ranged from -0.6 (Brazil) to -2.9 (Guatemala) at age 24 mo. Between 24 mo and mid-childhood, HAZ values increased by 0.3-0.5 in South Africa, Guatemala, and the Philippines and were unchanged in Brazil and India. Between mid-childhood and adulthood, mean HAZs increased in all cohorts but remained <0 in adulthood [mean range: -0.3 (Brazil) to -1.8 (Guatemala and Philippines)]. However, from 24 mo to adulthood, height differences from the reference median became greater. Conclusions: From age 2 y to adulthood, mean HAZs increased, even though height deficits relative to the reference median also increased. These 2 metrics may result in different interpretations of the potential for and the impact of catch-up growth in height. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.
Authors & Co-Authors
Lundeen, Elizabeth A.
Unknown Affiliation
Stein, Aryeh D.
Unknown Affiliation
Adair, Linda S.
Unknown Affiliation
Behrman, Jere Richard
Unknown Affiliation
Bhargava, Santosh Kumar
Unknown Affiliation
Dearden, Kirk A.
Unknown Affiliation
Gigante, Denise Petrucci
Unknown Affiliation
Norris, Shane A.
Unknown Affiliation
Richter, Linda M.
Unknown Affiliation
Fall, Caroline H.D.
Unknown Affiliation
Martorell, Reynaldo
Unknown Affiliation
Sachdev, Harshpal Singh
Unknown Affiliation
Victora, Cesar Gomes
Unknown Affiliation
Statistics
Citations: 89
Authors: 13
Affiliations: 12
Identifiers
Doi:
10.3945/ajcn.114.084368
ISSN:
00029165
e-ISSN:
19383207
Research Areas
Food Security
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Cohort Study
Study Locations
South Africa