Modelling stunting in LiST: the effect of applying smoothing to linear growth data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) is a widely used resource for evidence-based decision-making regarding health program scale-up in low- and middle-income countries. LiST estimates the impact of specified changes in intervention coverage on mortality and stunting among children under 5 years of age. We aimed to improve the estimates of the parameters in LiST that determine the rate at which the effects of interventions to prevent stunting attenuate as children get older.

Methods

We identified datasets with serial measurements of children's lengths or heights and used random effects models and restricted cubic splines to model the growth trajectories of children with at least six serial length/height measurements. We applied WHO growth standards to both measured and mode

SUBMITTER: Cousens S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5688407 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature