The Concept of Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF): Revisited and Revised.
Development economist Peter Svedberg in the year 2000, formulated the composite index of anthropometric failure
(CIAF) for detecting total malnourished children in developing countries. This classification was based on three indices of undernutrition, i.e. stunting (height-for-age, HAZ), underweight and wasting.
While these three indices have been distinguishable of their position is below then the normal range of World Health Organization’s international reference.
Estimation of total undernutrition with summation of Gomez and Waterlow’s three class divisions in Svedberg formulated composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) and Nandy’s revised CIAF have underestimated the prevalence of stunting with overweight children and only overweight children.
The present report proposes a new scheme which would accurately estimate the prevalence of anthropometric failure. This new classification will help in better estimating the dual burden of malnutrition among children. In the first-time presentation on CIAF, Svedberg (2000), has clearly outlined the relationship between three indices of undernutrition in a graphical presentation. Where the vertical axis presented the deviation of weight the horizontal axis indicated height deviation. The diagonal line presented the amalgamation of weight for height.
With the emergence of dual burden of malnutrition, this CIAF model of classification is not sufficient. At present, CIAF is detecting only those children whose weight and height are below the normal reference population of WHO and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Several recent studies among children from various countries have reported the presence of overweight and obesity simultaneously with stunting, i.e., low HAZ. Recent studies have also demonstrated the global emergence of only overweight/obesity among school-age children in both developed and developing countries.
Anthropol Open J. 2018; 3(1): 32-35. doi: 10.17140/ANTPOJ-3-118
