Table 3.
Difference between Kudumaa (stunting) and normal short stature: the study participants' point of view
| Normal short stature (ufupi wa kawaida) | Stunted stature (ufupi wa kudumaa) | |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation |
Natural (wa asili/wa kuzaliwa) Hereditary (wa kurithi) God's shortness (ufupi wa Mwenyezi Mungu). Not an illness (sio ugonjwa) |
An illness (ugonjwa/ufupi wa matatizo) Poor health Poor growth |
| Physical markers |
Having a baby face Having healthy skin (i.e., soft/babyish skin (ngozi teketeke/ya kitoto) Being chubby/big body size (ananenepa, amejazia, ana mwili, ana afya) |
Small body (mwili mdogo) Too short (Kafupi sana) Mature face comparable with that of an adult (amekomaa uso kama mtu mzima) Wrinkled skin that looks like that of an elderly person (ngozi imesinyaa kama ya mzee) Stiff skin (ngozi ngumu) like that of a mature person Immature skin for the child's age Skinny and dry body (Amekomaa mwili/mwili mkavu/mkakamavu/mgumu) Thin arms and legs and tight calf muscles (vigimbi) Body does not expand (does not become fat) Swollen belly or cheeks |
| Weight |
Weighs enough (uzito wake mzuri) Weight marker in green area of growth chart |
Light body (mwili mwepesi) Weight marker in grey and red colours in the green area of the growth chart Weight loss |
| Play and physical activity |
Active (Kachangamka) Playful (interacts with peers) Robust |
Not active (hachangamki) Not playful Does not like to play with peers Always wants to stay with her/his mother Does not have physical strength (hana nguvu) Has a weak body (mwili dhaifu/kanyongea) |
| Immunity | The child is free of illness/not intermittently sick (haumwiumwi) |
The child is intermittently sick (anaumwaumwa) Illnesses do not pass away from him (magonjwa hayampitii mbali) The child is vulnerable to disease and is regularly hospitalized |
| Motor milestones |
The child crawls/stands/walks on time. The child is able to run |
Unsteady limbs/arms The child fails to crawl/stand/walk on schedule. The child's peers can walk/run but s/he cannot. |
| Intelligence |
Is intelligent (ana akili) Is clever (mjanja) Has good memory Quickly understands parents' instructions |
The child has stunted cognitive abilities (akili imedumaa; i.e., is not smart, not clever, is forgetful/struggles to understand parents' instructions). |
| Child's mood | Is cheerful/looks happy | The child is not cheerful (hana furaha). |
| Hair condition | Healthy hair | The child has stunted hair (dull, too weak, too soft for his/her age [infant's hair], or copper/brown in colour [nywele za shaba]). |