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| 48371 | What is childhood wasting? | wasting-definition | post | publish | <!-- wp:columns {"className":"is-style-side-by-side"} --> <div class="wp-block-columns is-style-side-by-side"><!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>‘Wasting’ is one of the key indicators used to assess the prevalence of childhood malnutrition. A child is defined as ‘wasted’ if their weight is too low for their height.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wasting is often referred to as <em>acute</em> malnutrition. It is a sign that a child has experienced short periods of undernutrition, resulting in significant wastage of muscle and fat tissue. This means their weight is very low for their height. <a href="http://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition">Childhood stunting</a> – another important measure of nutrition – is regarded as a stronger indicator of <em>chronic</em> malnutrition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wasting can be caused by acute but severe periods of food shortage, or disease, or both. This is often caused by periods of severe food insecurity in a population – such as during famine, or seasons of very poor crop harvest. It can also be the result of bouts of infection, where a child’s energy requirements may be higher <em>and</em> their ability to absorb and retain nutrients is limited.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The prevalence of wasting in a population is measured as the share of children younger than five years old that are defined as ‘wasted’.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <iframe src="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-children-with-a-weight-too-low-for-their-height-wasting" loading="lazy" style="width: 100%; height: 600px; border: 0px none;"></iframe> <!-- /wp:html --></div> <!-- /wp:column --> <!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"></div> <!-- /wp:column --></div> <!-- /wp:columns --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>How is wasting measured?</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:columns --> <div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wasting is measured based on a child’s weight relative to their height. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The World Health Organization (WHO) sets out <a href="https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards">child growth standards</a> – these show the expected trajectory of a child’s growth from birth through to adulthood.{ref}World Health Organization, and World Health Organization. Nutrition for Health. <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547635">WHO child growth standards: growth velocity based on weight, length and head circumference: methods and development</a>. World Health Organization, 2009.{/ref} These include measurements of a child’s expected height and weight. One of the key measures of health is a child’s weight <em>relative to their height</em>. If their weight is too low for their height, it is a sign that they have an insufficient energy intake. Of course, this weight-to-height ratio is not exactly the same for every child. The WHO therefore sets out a range of values around this median expectation. This ‘acceptable range’ spans two standard deviations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>A child whose weight falls two standard deviations below their expected weight for their height is defined as ‘wasted’.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a population, the prevalence of wasting is defined as <strong>the share of child under five years old that fall two standard deviations below the expected weight for their height</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To estimate the prevalence of wasting, researchers draw on household and demographic surveys, which include measurements of childhood growth, alongside official health data from governments that monitor child development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div> <!-- /wp:column --> <!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"></div> <!-- /wp:column --></div> <!-- /wp:columns --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":5} --> <h5>Keep reading at <em>Our World in Data</em></h5> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:owid/prominent-link {"title":"","linkUrl":"https://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition","className":"is-style-thin"} /--> <!-- wp:owid/prominent-link {"title":"","linkUrl":"https://ourworldindata.org/hunger-and-undernourishment","className":"is-style-thin"} /--> | {
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2022-02-06 15:56:18 | 2024-03-03 20:03:19 | 1UzpO2qA8U-wYsLcGC7yn8SgeEFbXeRlFWUutYUfngOU | [
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Childhood wasting is an important indicator of malnutrition. What is it, and how is it measured? | 2022-02-06 15:54:30 | 2023-03-16 16:01:07 | https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Wasting-01.png | {} |
‘Wasting’ is one of the key indicators used to assess the prevalence of childhood malnutrition. A child is defined as ‘wasted’ if their weight is too low for their height. Wasting is often referred to as _acute_ malnutrition. It is a sign that a child has experienced short periods of undernutrition, resulting in significant wastage of muscle and fat tissue. This means their weight is very low for their height. [Childhood stunting](http://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition) – another important measure of nutrition – is regarded as a stronger indicator of _chronic_ malnutrition. Wasting can be caused by acute but severe periods of food shortage, or disease, or both. This is often caused by periods of severe food insecurity in a population – such as during famine, or seasons of very poor crop harvest. It can also be the result of bouts of infection, where a child’s energy requirements may be higher _and_ their ability to absorb and retain nutrients is limited. The prevalence of wasting in a population is measured as the share of children younger than five years old that are defined as ‘wasted’. <Chart url="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-children-with-a-weight-too-low-for-their-height-wasting"/> ## How is wasting measured? Wasting is measured based on a child’s weight relative to their height. The World Health Organization (WHO) sets out [child growth standards](https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards) – these show the expected trajectory of a child’s growth from birth through to adulthood.{ref}World Health Organization, and World Health Organization. Nutrition for Health. [WHO child growth standards: growth velocity based on weight, length and head circumference: methods and development](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547635). World Health Organization, 2009.{/ref} These include measurements of a child’s expected height and weight. One of the key measures of health is a child’s weight _relative to their height_. If their weight is too low for their height, it is a sign that they have an insufficient energy intake. Of course, this weight-to-height ratio is not exactly the same for every child. The WHO therefore sets out a range of values around this median expectation. This ‘acceptable range’ spans two standard deviations. **A child whose weight falls two standard deviations below their expected weight for their height is defined as ‘wasted’.** In a population, the prevalence of wasting is defined as **the share of child under five years old that fall two standard deviations below the expected weight for their height**. To estimate the prevalence of wasting, researchers draw on household and demographic surveys, which include measurements of childhood growth, alongside official health data from governments that monitor child development. ### Keep reading at _Our World in Data_ ### https://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition ### https://ourworldindata.org/hunger-and-undernourishment | {
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"rendered": "\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-style-side-by-side\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<p>\u2018Wasting\u2019 is one of the key indicators used to assess the prevalence of childhood malnutrition. A child is defined as \u2018wasted\u2019 if their weight is too low for their height.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wasting is often referred to as <em>acute</em> malnutrition. It is a sign that a child has experienced short periods of undernutrition, resulting in significant wastage of muscle and fat tissue. This means their weight is very low for their height. <a href=\"http://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition\">Childhood stunting</a> \u2013 another important measure of nutrition \u2013 is regarded as a stronger indicator of <em>chronic</em> malnutrition.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wasting can be caused by acute but severe periods of food shortage, or disease, or both. This is often caused by periods of severe food insecurity in a population \u2013 such as during famine, or seasons of very poor crop harvest. It can also be the result of bouts of infection, where a child\u2019s energy requirements may be higher <em>and</em> their ability to absorb and retain nutrients is limited.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prevalence of wasting in a population is measured as the share of children younger than five years old that are defined as \u2018wasted\u2019.</p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-children-with-a-weight-too-low-for-their-height-wasting\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 600px; border: 0px none;\"></iframe>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\"></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<h4>How is wasting measured?</h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<p>Wasting is measured based on a child\u2019s weight relative to their height. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The World Health Organization (WHO) sets out <a href=\"https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards\">child growth standards</a> \u2013 these show the expected trajectory of a child\u2019s growth from birth through to adulthood.{ref}World Health Organization, and World Health Organization. Nutrition for Health. <a href=\"https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547635\">WHO child growth standards: growth velocity based on weight, length and head circumference: methods and development</a>. World Health Organization, 2009.{/ref} These include measurements of a child\u2019s expected height and weight. One of the key measures of health is a child\u2019s weight <em>relative to their height</em>. If their weight is too low for their height, it is a sign that they have an insufficient energy intake. Of course, this weight-to-height ratio is not exactly the same for every child. The WHO therefore sets out a range of values around this median expectation. This \u2018acceptable range\u2019 spans two standard deviations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A child whose weight falls two standard deviations below their expected weight for their height is defined as \u2018wasted\u2019.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a population, the prevalence of wasting is defined as <strong>the share of child under five years old that fall two standard deviations below the expected weight for their height</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>To estimate the prevalence of wasting, researchers draw on household and demographic surveys, which include measurements of childhood growth, alongside official health data from governments that monitor child development.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\"></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<h5>Keep reading at <em>Our World in Data</em></h5>\n\n\n <block type=\"prominent-link\" style=\"is-style-thin\">\n <link-url>https://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition</link-url>\n <title></title>\n <content></content>\n <figure></figure>\n </block>\n\n <block type=\"prominent-link\" style=\"is-style-thin\">\n <link-url>https://ourworldindata.org/hunger-and-undernourishment</link-url>\n <title></title>\n <content></content>\n <figure></figure>\n </block>",
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