Calculating Undernutrition Indicators for Under-5 Children in Older surveys [message #28630] |
Fri, 09 February 2024 08:40 |
Adetunji
Messages: 6 Registered: August 2023
|
Member |
|
|
Hi,
I am working on the coexisting forms of malnutrition in under-5 children in SSA. Using the KR file in the newer surveys DHS-V upward, I have successfully computed the indicators of undernutrition and their coexistence respectively. I used the variables hw71, hw71 and hw72 for my computation. However, these variables are not found in the same KR file in DHS-IV downward.
Kindly advise on what I should do. My unit of analysis remains the under-5 children.
Thanks in anticipation of your help.
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Calculating Undernutrition Indicators for Under-5 Children in Older surveys [message #28659 is a reply to message #28652] |
Thu, 15 February 2024 16:31 |
Janet-DHS
Messages: 880 Registered: April 2022
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Following is a response from DHS staff member, Tom Pullum:
The formulas for the WHO Child Growth Standards (https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards) have not changed since 2006. The only part of the standards that DHS uses to construct hw70-hw72 are weight, height/length, and whether the child was standing (height) or lying (length) at the time of measurement. The assumptions, cutoffs, etc., are all consistent with WHO standards. We have had several reports related to the quality of the anthropometric data (see our publications page) and there is good evidence of improved measurement, especially of height/length, in the past 6 years or so. With the HW files you can get the values that would have been calculated in earlier years if the formulas had been available in earlier years. If you go back to the earliest years of DHS, however, there was no anthropometry at all.
|
|
|