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BACKGROUND: Anthropometry assessment is important indicator for health based on physical growth for children. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 60 subjects (45% cerebral palsy and 55% Down syndrome) to determine anthropometry assessment and independence of standard and specific growth charts used for indicating nutritional status. Parents were interviewed to obtain demography data and anthropometry measurement was done on subjects aged between two and 18 years by five trained data collectors. Anthropometry data was compared using standard and specific growth charts according category of disability.
RESULT: Majority subjects with cerebral palsy were classified normal for weight-for-age (60.0%), height-for-age (92.0%), BMI-for-age (66.7%) using specific growth charts as compared to the normal growth chart. Similarly, subjects with Down syndrome under specific growth chart indicated weight-for-age (78.1%) and height-for-age (76.7%) were in the category of normal. In the context of BMI-for-age (70.0%) under standard growth chart and reference, majority subjects were classified under normal too. In comparison to specific growth chart and standard growth chart, there was reduction of subjects in the under-nourished category when applying specific growth charts. Besides, it was found that there were no significant relatedness between standard and specific growth charts used except for weight-for-age, case of girls in category disability of Down syndrome (p<0.05). In addition, by using specific growth charts, weight-for-age was found to be significantly correlated to BMI-for-age (r= 0.546, p<0.01) but not for height-for-age.
CONCLUSION: Majority subjects for both disabilities are in the category of normal when using the specific growth chart as compared to the standard growth chart. Hence its more appropriate to use a specific growth charts when we want to determine the anthropometry status of special needs children and teenagers.
Keywords: Disabled; special needs children and teenagers; anthropometry assessment; specific growth charts; standard growth chart