Worldwide practices in child growth monitoring

Onís, Mercedes de; Wijnhoven, Trudy M. A.; Onyango, Adelheid W.

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2003.12.034

Cited by 194 publications

(199 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…13,14 Nevertheless, a recent global survey on child growth monitoring practices 15 showed that weight-for-age was the anthropometric indicator universally used (97% of countries), while only 23% of the countries used weight-for-height, with BMI being rarely used. The results from this study indicate that at present only a few countries have in place growth monitoring systems that allow early identification of children at risk of becoming overweight and/or obese.…”

Section: Potential Measures For Early Identification Of Excessive Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure 2 presents the age coverage of the growth charts collected from 154 countries. 15 The majority (55%) of charts were used for infants and young children (0-5 y), and 29% covered birth to adolescence (0-18 y), while the rest were applied to variable age spans or unspecified ranges. The main reason for greater programme focus on preschool vs older children is the absence of agreed criteria and appropriate reference data to monitor growth in school-age children and adolescents.…”

Section: Potential Measures For Early Identification Of Excessive Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

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The use of anthropometry in the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity

Onís

2004

Int J Obes

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OBJECTIVE:To review concepts and propose measures related to the use of anthropometry for early identification of excessive weight gain in children. METHODS: Review of results from national and international studies focusing on the assessment of childhood growth, and evaluation of the weight-for-height z-scores of individual children using the 1977 National Center for Health Statistics and the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. RESULTS: At present, few countries (23%) use indicators based on weight and height measurements to classify child body weight status. Less than one-third of growth monitoring programmes assess the growth of children beyond 6 y of age. Growth charts based on descriptive samples of populations undergoing increasing trends of childhood overweight and obesity result in substantial underestimation of true rates of these conditions. CONCLUSION: Early recognition of excessive weight gain relative to linear growth should become standard clinical practice by the following: (a) the routine collection of height measurements to enable monitoring weight-for-height and body mass index (BMI); (b) the expansion of existing monitoring programmes to include the assessment of all children up to 18 y at least once a year; (c) the interpretation of weight-for-height and BMI indices based on prescriptive reference data; and (d) the early intervention after an increase in weight-for-height or BMI percentiles has been observed.

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Section: Potential Measures For Early Identification Of Excessive Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Potential Measures For Early Identification Of Excessive Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of anthropometry in the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity

Onís

2004

Int J Obes

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“…1,2 In spite of its being in existence for over 40 years, the use of the growth charts has always been fraught with problems. 3 Different factors contribute to its ineffective use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Doctors’ attitudes to and knowledge and usage of growth charts

Smith

Reji

2015

South African Family Practice

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Background: Growth charts have been used worldwide for about 40 years but their use has always been fraught with problems. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on the reported usage of growth charts and whether there are factors that affect usage by the general practitioners working with children in public hospitals.Data were collected through the use of a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire covered four concepts: demographic factors; doctors' self-reported growth chart usage; doctors' attitude towards growth monitoring and use of growth charts; and doctors' knowledge in terms of plotting, interpretation and management of growth patterns. Results: A total of 90 out of 100 doctors completed the questionnaires. More than half (57%) of the doctors had high workloads. Fifty-six (62.2%) doctors thought they were too busy to use growth charts. Only 37 (41%) doctors achieved an acceptable total knowledge score. Although just over two-thirds of (67.8%) doctors reported a positive attitude towards growth monitoring, their reported usage does not reflect it. Fifty-four (60%) doctors plotted weights correctly. Doctors recognised the most probable cause for the given growth patterns. However, most doctors struggled to choose the most appropriate management option. Skill in plotting was associated with more regular usage. Better knowledge and a positive attitude were associated with higher usage whereas a perception of high workload and several years' experience were associated with lower levels of usage. Conclusions: While doctors reported a positive attitude towards the use of growth charts, they lacked the knowledge to utilise them optimally and reported that the chart was often not used.

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“…6,7 The growth of young children is routinely measured and monitored during 'well-child' check-ups throughout early childhood in many countries. 8 Historically, growth monitoring of children was primarily aimed at identifying children with delayed or impaired growth; however, the systems in place also have the potential to identify children with excess weight gain at both a clinical and population level. With increasing use of electronic records, there are valuable opportunities to access and analyse these data to support public health, health promotion and health service delivery, as has been demonstrated in a number of countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreasing trends in overweight and obesity among an Australian population of preschool children

Nichols

Silva-Sanigorski

Cleary³

et al. 2011

Int J Obes

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Background: After several decades of increasing prevalence, recent evidence suggests a levelling of obesity rates in some groups, although little is known about trends in children under 5 years of age. Aim: To investigate the prevalence, trends and sociodemographic correlates of overweight and obesity in Australian preschool children between 1999 and 2007. Methods: Child anthropometric and demographic data were extracted from records of routine maternal and child health consultations for children aged 2 and 3.5 years in the Australian state of Victoria. Data were analysed for prevalence of overweight and obesity (according to International Obesity Task Force definitions), trends in prevalence from 1999 to 2007 and sociodemographic correlates of prevalence and trends. Results: Complete data were available for 129 266 2-year-old children and 96 164 3.5-year-old children from 41 local government areas across Victoria. Combined prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased significantly between 1999 and 2007 in 3.5-year-old children (by 3.1% points from 18.5 to 15.4%) and in 2-year-old children (1.1% point decrease from 13.5 to 12.4%). There was no accompanying increase in rates of underweight. Decreases were more pronounced in areas of lower socioeconomic status (SES). Prevalence of both overweight and obesity was consistently higher across time in the older group of children, in the lowest quartile of SES and among girls. Conclusions: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children in Victoria has decreased significantly between 1999 and 2007, whereas socioeconomic disparities have narrowed. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for the decreasing prevalence, and to better evaluate existing and emerging health promotion initiatives. Such evidence will be important to build on the findings of this study and to transfer lessons learnt to other population groups.

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Worldwide practices in child growth monitoring

Cited by 194 publications

References 6 publications

The use of anthropometry in the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity

The use of anthropometry in the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity

Doctors’ attitudes to and knowledge and usage of growth charts

Decreasing trends in overweight and obesity among an Australian population of preschool children

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