Malnutrition is a pathological state caused by deficiencies or excesses of essential nutrients that can result from low dietary intake, low birthweight, infection, or poverty. The World Health Organization classifies nutritional status based on weight for height, height for age, and edema, using Z-scores or standard deviation scores to assess moderate or severe malnutrition between -3 and -2 standard deviations, or overweight status between +2 and +3 standard deviations. Clinical features of malnutrition include growth failure, infection, anemia, reduced activity, and skin and hair changes.
4. WHO CLASSIFICATION
The assessment of nutritional status is done acc. to
weight for height, height for age and presence of
edema.
WHO recommends the use of Z score or standard
deviation scores (SDS).
SD score = observed value – median reference value
. Standard deviation of reference population
5. Indication
-2 to -3 indicates moderate malnutrition
+2 to +3 indicates overweight
<-3 indicates severe malnutrition
>+3 indicates obesity
