ABSTRACT
Length, height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were measured in 4320 children aged between 0 and 59 months, and their socio-economic status was assessed, in 31 villages in Southwest Uganda during March-April 1988. A follow-up survey assessed the mortality of the children during the 12 months following anthropometry. Mortality rates were higher in those with low anthropometric indices at the first survey. MUAC was the most sensitive predictor of mortality followed by weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height. MUAC increased the predictive power of other parameters whereas the other parameters did not increase the predictive power of MUAC. MUAC below 12.5, 11.5 and 10.5 cm predicted 10.9%, 18.7% and 36.5% of the deaths respectively. Nutritional status was worse in the low socio-economic group but the predictive power of anthropometry for mortality was not influenced by socio-economic status. This suggests that nutrition per se has an influence on mortality which is independent of socio-economic status.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry , Mortality , Social Class , Age Factors , Cause of Death , Child, Preschool , Educational Status , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Male , Occupations , Predictive Value of Tests , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Two longitudinal studies were carried out in northwest and southwest Uganda to examine the relationship between anthropometry and childhood mortality. Although the prevalence of malnutrition was significantly different between the two geographic areas, the relative risk for mortality associated with low levels of anthropometry was similar. When the anthropometric parameters were compared among each other, mid-upper arm circumference was found to be the most powerful predictor of mortality. The findings of this study confirm that mid-upper arm circumference is the indicator of choice to identify children at higher risk of death.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry , Arm/anatomy & histology , Mortality , Body Height , Body Weight , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Infant Mortality , Longitudinal Studies , Risk Factors , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
In order to plan, implement and monitor health interventions for the most deprived sector of the population, it is necessary to identify socioeconomic groups at risk. Multiple Correspondence Analysis was used to construct a socio-economic index based on data collected from a sample of 2698 households in South-West district of the Ugandan Republic in 1988. This study is a part of the baseline survey done by the Government of Uganda in collaboration with UNICEF. Its aim was to reduce the incidence of death of children below 5 years from diarrhea. Two factorial axes, representing respectively the socio-cultural and the anthropological conditions, explained more than 80% of the total variability. Among the 11 variables employed the most useful in characterizing the socio-economic classification were: father's occupation, parent's literacy, father's professional position and ownership of a radio. A classification in 7 levels was obtained. The first two levels are characterized as professionals and civil servants. The bottom two levels include households where both parents are illiterate and where father's primary activity is agricultural at a subsistence level. The three middle levels represent a transitional situation. In order to classify the family into the different levels, the other related variables, such as father's professional position or ownership of radio or father's religion or presence of latrine proved to be very useful. A flow chart which identifies which level a household belongs to was constructed. A general and valid observation is that families classified into the last two levels (6 and 7) constituted the population at risk for health conditions.
