Table 5.
Differences in mean z-scores for growth metrics by undernutrition category and age groups in US children from NHANES 2005–2014 data (n = 13,950).
| Age Group |
Measure (z-score) | No Indicators of Undernutrition |
Mild Undernutrition |
Moderate/ Severe Undernutrition |
p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | Weight-for-length | 0.60 (0.03) | −0.71 (0.06) | −1.90 (0.15) | <0.001 |
| Length-for-age | 0.31 (0.04) | −0.22 (0.09) | −0.66 (0.18) | <0.001 | |
| MUAC-for-age | 0.06 (0.03) | −1.24 (0.04) | −1.96 (0.09) | <0.001 | |
| 2–5 Years | Weight-for-height | 0.56 (0.02) | −0.96 (0.02) | −2.02 (0.08) | <0.001 |
| BMI-for-age | 0.62 (0.02) | −0.96 (0.02) | −2.06 (0.08) | <0.001 | |
| Height-for-age | 0.34 (0.03) | −0.14 (0.06) | −0.46 (0.15) | <0.001 | |
| MUAC-for-age | 0.30 (0.02) | −1.09 (0.02) | −1.60 (0.06) | <0.001 | |
| 6–8 Years | Weight-for-height | 0.42 (0.03) | −1.31 (0.03) | −2.18 (0.16) | <0.001 |
| BMI-for-age | 0.64 (0.02) | −1.36 (0.02) | −2.23 (0.11) | <0.001 | |
| Height-for-age | 0.24 (0.02) | −0.20 (0.08) | −0.85 (0.22) | <0.001 | |
| 9–13 Years | Weight-for-height | 0.37 (0.16) | −1.09 (0.04) | −0.57 (1.48) | <0.001 |
| BMI-for-age | 0.78 (0.02) | −1.39 (0.02) | −2.42 (0.07) | <0.001 | |
| Height-for-age | 0.42 (0.02) | −0.23 (0.07) | −0.66 (0.15) | <0.001 |
Data presented as mean (Standard Error). Growth metrics are significantly different across all levels of undernutrition for all measures tested with analysis of covariance, controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, and income as a percent of the federal poverty rate (p < 0.001).