Weight for length is an index of what in Waterlow criteria?

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Multiple Choice

Weight for length is an index of what in Waterlow criteria?

Explanation:
Weight-for-length is a measure of wasting, reflecting acute malnutrition. When a child’s weight is low for a given length, it indicates insufficient recent energy intake or recent illness leading to weight loss, i.e., an acute state. In Waterlow criteria, stunting is assessed by height-for-age (long-term, chronic malnutrition), not by weight-for-length. So the best interpretation is that weight-for-length identifies wasting due to acute malnutrition.

Weight-for-length is a measure of wasting, reflecting acute malnutrition. When a child’s weight is low for a given length, it indicates insufficient recent energy intake or recent illness leading to weight loss, i.e., an acute state. In Waterlow criteria, stunting is assessed by height-for-age (long-term, chronic malnutrition), not by weight-for-length. So the best interpretation is that weight-for-length identifies wasting due to acute malnutrition.

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