weightforheight

Weight-for-height is an anthropometric index used to assess the body proportionality of a child by comparing their weight with their height. It is primarily a measure of acute nutritional status and is especially useful for identifying wasting in children under five years old. For infants up to around two years of age, the equivalent measurement is weight-for-length, since recumbent length is used instead of standing height. Weight-for-height is commonly expressed as a z-score (WHZ) relative to a reference population, or as a percentage of the median reference weight-for-height.

Interpretation relies on established growth standards, notably the World Health Organization (WHO) 2006 growth standards. WHZ values indicate how a child’s weight compares with the expected weight for their height. Wasting is defined as WHZ less than -2 standard deviations (moderate wasting is -2 to -3, severe wasting is below -3). Overweight is defined as WHZ greater than +2 standard deviations, with greater than +3 SD sometimes labeled obesity.

Applications include screening for acute malnutrition in populations, guiding clinical management, and monitoring the effectiveness of nutrition programs. It is frequently used alongside other measures, such as weight-for-age and height-for-age (stunting), to provide a fuller picture of a child’s growth and nutritional status. Limitations include potential distortions from hydration status or edema, measurement error in height or length, and the fact that weight-for-height does not distinguish chronic malnutrition from short stature.