Abbreviated Name:
Children under 5 who are stunted
Indicator Name:
Children under 5 who are stunted (moderate and severe)
Domain:
Health determinants and risks / Risk factors
Related Terms:
Child underweight, nutrition, severe stunting, stunting, wasting
Definition:
Percentage of stunted (moderate and severe) children aged 0–59 months (moderate = height-for-age below -2 standard deviations from the WHO Child Growth Standards median; severe = height-for-age below -3 standard deviations from the WHO Child Growth Standards median).
Measurment Method:
Percentage of children aged < 5 years stunted for age = (number of children aged 0–59 months whose z-score falls below -2 standard deviations from the median height-for-age of the WHO Child Growth Standards / Total number of children aged 0–59 months who were measured) x 100. Children’s weight and height are measured using standard equipment and methods (e.g. children younger than 24 months are measured lying down, while standing height is measured in children aged 24 months and older).
Numerator:
Number of children aged 0–59 months who are stunted.
Denominator
Total number of children aged 0–59 months who were measured.
Estimation method:
WHO maintains the Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition, which includes population-based surveys that fulfill a set of criteria. Data are checked for validity and consistency and raw data-sets are analyzed according to a standard procedure to obtain comparable results. Prevalence below and above defined cut-off points for weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height and body mass index (BMI)-for-age in pre-school children are presented using z-scores based on the WHO Child Growth Standards. Predominant type of statistics: adjusted.
Disaggregation:
Administrative regions, health regions, location (urban/rural), gender, age
Primary data sources:
Population based household surveys, specific population surveys, surveillance systems
Alternate data sources:
Population-based health surveys with nutrition modules, national surveillance systems
Measurment frequency:
Every 3-5 years
