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Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 1984 30(2):96-104; doi:10.1093/tropej/30.2.96
© 1984 by Oxford University Press
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A Comparison of Anthropometric Methods for Assessing Nutritional Status of Preschool Children: The Philippines Study

Marilyn D. Johnson, MS, William K. Yamanaka, PhD and Candelaria S. Formacion, MS*

Division of Human Nutrition, Dietetics and Foods, University of Washington
*Division of Physical Sciences, University of the Philippines College Iloilo

Correspondence to: William K. Yamanaka, DL-10, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.

Anthropometric measurement of children for assessing their nutritional status is a widely used procedure in developing countries. The purpose of the study is to identify the most reliable anthropometric measurements that reflect nutritional status and to test a few well-established formulas or methods of assessing growth and development of children.

In this study, 810 preschool Filipino children were measured for height, weight, head circumference, arm circumference and skinfold thickness. These measurements were compared to WHO international standards and the Philippines standards and the degree of malnutrition was established. Also various combinations of measurements were calculated and assessed for reliability in identifying malnutrition.

The results showed that many of the children were in poor nutritional status. Using the Philippines standard as a basis for comparison, the WHO international standards needed some modifications. For example, the standard for arm circumference did not reflect the degree of malnutrition present in the children. However Dugdale's nutritional index, weight/height,1.6 was a reliable measurement for malnutrition.


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