Interest of national growth charts for Algerian children and adolescents
Growth charts are the most useful tool for defining the children nutritional status. The body mass index (BMI) curves adapted to the concerned population make it possible to assess the corpulence degree (thinness, obesity), and also the monitoring of the child growth. It is recommended to use nation...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Société Algérienne de Nutrition
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Nutrition & Santé |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/73262 |
| Summary: | Growth charts are the most useful tool for defining the children nutritional status. The body mass index (BMI) curves adapted to the concerned population make it possible to assess the corpulence degree (thinness, obesity), and also the monitoring of the child growth. It is recommended to use national references for children clinical monitoring, and international definitions for cross-country comparisons. Currently, in Algeria, there is no national reference curve to assess the children growth. Some studies on growth were carried out but have become obsolete because of secular trends or did not meet the WHO recommendations for their implementation. The curves for boys and girls (0-22 years) included in the new health card, and used today are presented without indicating their source. In the ALNUTS laboratory, we realized growth curves (weight, height), and BMI for Algerian children and adolescents in accordance to WHO recommendations (1995). A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 7772 pupils (54.9% girls) in 2008/2009. These curves can be recommended for assessing the growth of children and adolescents (6-18 years) in Algeria, while for international comparisons, the WHO 2007 references are available. The evolution of growth and nutritional status of children and adolescents can be followed using the information available at the health facilities. It will remain to adapt the system to optimize the quality of its information to build a reliable database for effective nutritional monitoring. The information provided should be used to formulate policies or make decisions. |
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| ISSN: | 2253-0983 2353-026X |