Acceptability and Experiences with the Use of 3D Scans to Measure Anthropometry of Young Children in Surveys and Surveillance Systems from the Perspective of Field Teams and Caregivers

Background: Portable systems using three-dimensional (3D) scan data to calculate young child anthropometry measurements in population-based surveys and surveillance systems lack acceptability data from field workers and caregivers.

Objective: The aim was to assess acceptability and experiences with 3D scans measuring child aged 0-59 mo anthropometry in population-based surveys and surveillance systems in Guatemala, Kenya, and China (0-23 mo only) among field teams and caregivers of young children as secondary objectives of an external effectiveness evaluation.

Methods: Manual data were collected twice and 12 images captured per child by anthropometrist/expert and assistant (AEA) field teams (individuals/country, n = 15/Guatemala, n = 8/Kenya, n = 6/China). Caregivers were interviewed after observing their child's manual and scan data collection. Mixed methods included an administered caregiver interview (Guatemala, n = 465; Kenya, n = 496; China, n = 297) and self-administered AEA questionnaire both with closed- and open-ended questions, and 6 field team focus group discussions (FGDs; Guatemala, n = 2; Kenya, n = 3; China, n = 1). Qualitative data were coded by 2 authors and quantitative data produced descriptive statistics. Mixed-method results were compared and triangulated.

Results: Most AEAs were female with secondary or higher education. Approximately 80-90% of caregivers were the child's mother. To collect all anthropometry data, 62.1% of the 29 AEAs preferred scan, while 31% preferred manual methods. In FGDs, a key barrier for manual and scan methods was lack of child cooperation. Across countries, approximately 30% to almost 50% of caregivers said their child was bothered by each manual and scan method, while ≥95% of caregivers were willing to have their child measured by scans in the future.

Conclusions: Use of 3D scans to calculate anthropometry measurements was generally at least as acceptable as manual anthropometry measurement among AEA field workers and caregivers of young children aged <60 mo, and in some cases preferred.