Nutrition
Volume 25, Issue 10 , Pages 1035-1046 , October 2009

An assessment of the effectiveness of growth monitoring and promotion practices in the Lusaka district of Zambia

  • Karen E. Charlton, M.Sc., M.Phil.(Epi), Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +61-2-4221-4754; fax: +61-2-4221-3486.
    • ,
  • Beatrice M. Kawana, M.Sc.

      Affiliations

    • National Food and Nutrition Commission, Lusaka, Zambia
    • Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
    • ,
  • Michael K. Hendricks, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med.(Paed.), M.Trop.Paed., D.C.H.

      Affiliations

    • Child Health Unit, School of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Received 10 July 2008 ,Accepted 8 March 2009.

References 

  1. Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) (2001/2002). Lusaka: Central Statistical Office; 2003;
  2. ACC/SCN. Fourth report on the world nutrition situation. Geneva: ACC/SCN in collaboration with IFPRI; 2000;
  3. Pelletier DL. The relationship between child anthropometry and mortality in developing countries: implications for policy, programs and future research. J Nutr. 1994;124:2047S–20481
  4. Rice AL, Sacco L, Hyder A, Black RE. Malnutrition as an underlying cause of childhood deaths associated with infectious diseases in developing countries. Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78:1207–1221
  5. Schroeder DG, Brown KH. Nutritional status as a predictor of child survival: summarizing the association and quantifying its global impact. Bull World Health Organ. 1994;72:569–579
  6. de Onis T, Wijnhoven A, Onyango M. Worldwide practices in child growth monitoring. J Pediatr. 2004;144:461–465
  7. World Health Organization. The growth chart. A tool for use in infant and child health care. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1986;p. 1–33
  8. Roberfroid D, Kolsteren P, Hoerée T, Maire B. Do growth monitoring and promotion programs answer the performance criteria of a screening program? A critical analysis based on a systematic review. Trop Med Int Health. 2005;10:1121–1133
  9. Ashworth A, Shrimpton R, Jamil K. Growth monitoring and promotion: a review of evidence of impact. Matern Child Nutr. 2008;4:86–117
  10. Morley DC. Will growth monitoring continue to be part of primary health care?. S Afr Med J. 1994;84(Suppl):15–16
  11. Msefula D. How can growth monitoring and special care of underweight children be improved in Zambia?. Trop Doctor. 1993;23:107–112
  12. World Health Organization. Living well with HIV/AIDS: a manual on nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Rome: World Health Organization and FAO; 2002;
  13. Piwoz EG, Lopez de Romaña G, Creed de Kanashiro H, Black RE, Brown KH. Indicators for monitoring the growth of Peruvian infants: Weight and length gain versus attained weight and length. Am J Public Health. 1994;84:1132–1138
  14. Patton M. Qualitative evaluative research methods. 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications; 1990;
  15. What happened to growth monitoring?. Lancet. 1992;340:149
  16. Morley D, Meegan M. Growth monitoring a forgotten subject. Food Nutr Agric. 2000;27:14–18
  17. Hambayi MN, Kasonde P, Kaite C, Annu R, Kumar S. The nutrition and household food security analysis of Zambia, priority survey II. Lusaka. The Study Fund, Social Recovery Project. 1995;
  18. Piwoz GE, Preble AE. HIV/AIDS and nutrition: a review of the literature and recommendations for nutritional care and support in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: Support of Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) Project, Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development, US Agency for International Development; 2000;
  19. Food and Nutritional Council and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. Food and nutrition sentinel site surveillance report, November–December 2004; 2004. Available at: http://www.sarpn.org.za. Accessed May 12, 2006.
  20. Loevinsohn M, Gillespie SR. HIV/AIDS, food security and rural livelihoods: understanding and responding. Food Consumption and Nutrition Division Discussion Paper No. 157. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute; 2003;
  21. Meegan M, Morley D, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of Massai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1994;88:635–637
  22. Bleeker S. Growth patterns and mothers' ability to interpret growth curves: An exploratory survey in the Chelston under-five children's “immunization” clinic. Lusaka: Department of Health. 1989;
  23. Abbi R, Christian P, Gujaral S, Gopaldas TL. Mothers' nutrition knowledge and child nutritional status in India. Food Nutr Bull. 1988;10:6–11
  24. Rohde EJ. Beyond survival: promoting healthy growth. Indian J Paediatr. 1988;55(Suppl 1):S3–S8
  25. Wells JCK, Davies PSW, Lee PC. Patterns of infant weight gain in developing countries. J Trop Paediatr. 1993;39:214–217
  26. Gerein NM, Ross DA. Is growth monitoring worthwhile? An evaluation of its use in three child health programmes in Zaire. Soc Sci Med. 1991;32:667–675
  27. George SM, Latham MC, Abel R, Ethirajan N, Frongillo EA. Evaluating the effectiveness of good growth monitoring in South Indian villages. Lancet. 1993;342:348–352
  28. Ruel TM, Habicht J, Olson C. Impact of clinic-based growth monitoring programme on maternal nutrition knowledge in Lesotho. Int J Epidemiol. 1992;21:59–65
  29. Meegan ME, Morley D. Growth monitoring, family participation: effective community development. Trop Doctor. 1999;29:23–27
  30. Save the Children Fund. Thin on the ground: Questioning the evidence behind World Bank-funded community nutrition projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Uganda. London: Save the Children Fund; 2003;

 Part of this research was supported by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development.

PII: S0899-9007(09)00172-5

doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2009.03.008

Nutrition
Volume 25, Issue 10 , Pages 1035-1046 , October 2009

Article Tools