Establishing Height-for-Age Z-Score Growth Reference Curves and Stunting Prevalence in Children and Adolescents in Pakistan.

ABSTRACT: Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) curves are widely used for detecting children with stunting. The aim of this study was to provide smoothed HAZ growth reference values and their curves for Pakistani children and adolescents aged 2-18 years. The prevalence of stunting in Pakistani children was determined. A total of 10,668 healthy Pakistani participants were included. Information related to age, sex, city of residence and height (cm) was used. Age- and sex-specific smoothed HAZ growth reference values and associated graphs were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method. The prevalence of stunting was calculated by applying WHO 2007 and USCDC 2000 height-for-age references and local reference of the study population. In both sexes, the smoothed HAZ curves increased with age. For 2 and 3 ye

SUBMITTER: Asif M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9566739 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature