TABLE 1.
Nutritional Status Category Anthropometric Definitions
| Nutritional Status Category | Age <2 y (WHO Definitions)26 | Age 2–18 y (CDC Definitions)27 |
|---|---|---|
| Wasting | Weight-for-length ≤2.3rd percentile | BMI <5th percentile |
| Healthy weight | Weight-for-length >2.3rd percentile and <97.7th percentile | BMI ≥5th percentile and ≤85th percentile |
| Overweight/obese | Weight-for-length ≥97.7th percentile | BMI >85th percentile |
| Stuntinga | Length-for-age ≤2.3rd percentile | Height-for-age <5th percentile |
The 2.3rd percentile is equal to z score of –2.00, 5th percentile is equal to z score of –1.64, 85th percentile is equal to a z score of 1.04, 95th percentile is equal to a z score of 1.64, and 97.7th percentile is equal to a z score of 2.00.
a
Children classified into the wasting, healthy wt or overweight/obese categories, could also be classified into the height/length-for-age category of stunting.