Objective: To compare the median weight, height and body mass index of school children with the 2000 CDC and 2007 WHO reference values.
Settings: Schoolchildren in Sagamu, Nigeria.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Methods: Between November and December, 2008, 1690 school children aged 6 to 16 years from 8 primary schools were surveyed using multi-stage sampling methods. The weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were recorded for each child. The Z-scores of the median anthropometric parameters for each age and sex were determined with the LMS statistical method using the values of L, M and S provided on the CDC and WHO charts.
Results: The weight, height and BMI Z-scores were less than the reference values provided on the CDC and WHO charts but were generally closer to the WHO standards compared to the CDC standards. The median weight, height and BMI for females generally plotted higher on CDC and WHO chart compared to the males. The prevalence of underweight and stunting were relatively lower while the prevalence of overweight and obesity was relatively higher among children aged 6 to 10 years using the WHO references compared to the CDC reference values.
Conclusions: The WHO references would under-diagnose under-nutrition and over-diagnose overweight/obesity in the population studied.