Table 1.
Changes in the percentage prevalence (95% confidence interval) of acute malnutrition assessed by weight for height z scores
| Survey and case definition | NCHS reference | WHO standards | Difference* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya, 2001 (n=841) | |||
| <−2 | 16.6 (14.1 to 19.2) | 16.1 (13.5 to 18.6) | −0.6 (−2.0 to 0.8) |
| <−3 | 0.8 (0.2 to 1.5) | 2.1 (1.1 to 3.2) | 1.3 (0.5 to 2.4) |
| Algeria, 2002 (n=850) | |||
| <−2 | 10.6 (8.5 to 12.7) | 10.5 (8.4 to 12.6) | 0.1 (−1.4 to 1.1) |
| <−3 | 2.2 (1.2 to 3.3) | 3.8 (2.4 to 5.1) | 1.5 (0.6 to 2.6) |
| Bangladesh, 2003 (n=864) | |||
| <−2 | 12.8 (10.6 to 15.1) | 14.8 (12.4 to 17.2) | 2.0 (0.4 to 3.6) |
| <−3 | 0.5 (0.0 to 1.0) | 2.1 (1.1 to 3.1) | 1.6 (0.8 to 2.7) |
WHO standards=World Health Organization 2006 growth standards; NCHS reference=National Center for Health Statistics/WHO 1978 growth reference.
*95% confidence interval of the difference calculated with Newcombe's test of paired proportions.