Original article
English
Bordom JH 1, Billot L 2, Gueguen R 3, Deschamps JR 2.
1-Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Al-Jabel Al-Gharbi, Gharian, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Correspondence to J.H. Bordom: bordomj@hotmail.com). 2-Ecole de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Université Henri Poincaré, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, France. 3-Centre de Médicine Préventive, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, France.
East Mediterr Health J. 2008 Nov-Dec;14(6):1400-12.
Abstract
To draw up new growth charts for Libyan children under 5 years of age, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in urban and rural areas in 2 regions of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from June 1999 to February 2000. Using WHO cluster sampling methodology, 1473 infants and children of both sexes aged between 0 and 59 months were selected from residential areas, maternal and child health centres, kindergartens and the delivery section of hospitals. Growth charts for weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height were plotted and smoothed, to provide reference curves for clinical, epidemiological and research purposes. In addition, mean Z-scores were analysed by sociodemographic variables collected from interviews with parents. Factors with a strong influence on childhood growth patterns were child’s age, mother’s education level and sex.
Keywords: New growth charts for Libyan preschool children.
Link/DOI: http://www.emro.who.int/publications/emhj/1406/article18.htm