Sikorski C., Kerac M., Fikremariam M., Seal A.
Preliminary evaluation of the Moyo chart-a novel, low-cost, weight-for-height slide chart for the improved assessment of nutritional status in children
University College London Medical School, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; UCL Centre for International Health and Development, Institute of Child Health, Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom; St Paul's Millennium Medical School, University of Addis Ababa, PO Box 1271, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Sikorski, C., University College London Medical School, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; Kerac, M., UCL Centre for International Health and Development, Institute of Child Health, Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom; Fikremariam, M., St Paul's Millennium Medical School, University of Addis Ababa, PO Box 1271, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Seal, A., UCL Centre for International Health and Development, Institute of Child Health, Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
The Moyo chart is a novel weight-for-height slide chart. We explore the hypothesis that it improves accuracy, speed and ease of nutritional assessment compared with traditional lookup tables. In a crossover randomised controlled trial, 61 medical students in Ethiopia diagnosed hypothetical cases of severe acute malnutrition, moderate acute malnutrition and normal nutrition in children. Mean accuracy of nutritional status diagnosis was 83.2% using the Moyo chart and 76.1% using lookup tables (P = 0.011). There was a trend towards a reduced time per correct diagnosis using the Moyo chart and 78% of participants preferred using it. These preliminary results suggest that the Moyo chart may aid frontline health workers classifying child nutritional status. © 2010 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
accuracy; anthropometric parameters; article; body height; body weight; controlled study; diagnostic accuracy; diagnostic value; Ethiopia; evaluation; human; human experiment; malnutrition; moyo chart; normal human; nutritional assessment; nutritional status; Body Height; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Over Studies; Ethiopia; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Malnutrition; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional Status; Program Evaluation; Reference Values