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other·pediatrics, public health, nutrition, research methods, clinical nutrition·PMC10468082

Identifying underweight in infants and children using growth charts, lookup tables and a novel “MAMI” slide chart: A cross-over diagnostic and acceptability study

PLOS Global Public Health · 5 authors, 4 centres

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TL;DR

A cross-over study comparing a new MAMI slide chart to traditional growth charts and lookup tables for assessing underweight in children found the MAMI chart was significantly more accurate and faster to use among health professionals.

Full summary

519 CHARS

This cross-over diagnostic study evaluated a novel, low-cost MAMI slide chart for classifying underweight status in infants and children against traditional WHO growth charts and lookup tables. Primary outcomes were diagnostic accuracy and response rate. Differences were statistically significant. Most participants (69%) preferred the MAMI chart, finding it easier and faster. The study suggests the MAMI chart could improve the efficiency of malnutrition identification in programs, warranting further field testing.

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10468082

Identifying underweight in infants and children using growth charts, lookup tables and a novel “MAMI” slide chart: A cross-over diagnostic and acceptability study

PLOS Global Public Health

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Malnutrition is a leading cause of preventable deaths in infants and children. To benefit from treatment and prevention programmes, malnourished children must first be identified. Low weight-for-age is an anthropometric indicator of malnutrition which is gaining much recent attention because it is particularly effective at identifying children at highest risk of death. However, assessing weight-for-age can be challenging. We aimed to evaluate a novel, low-cost weight-for-age slide chart and compare its performance against two traditional methods. We conducted a cross-over diagnostic study comparing a new “MAMI” slide-chart against traditional growth charts and look-up tables. Participants were health and public health professionals working or studying in the UK. Each acted as their own control, using all three methods but in random order. Under timed conditions, they evaluated hypothetical scenarios, arranged in a random sequence. Each tool’s diagnostic accuracy and response rate were compared. User preferences were also recorded. Sixty-two participants took part. Diagnostic accuracy was highest for the MAMI chart: 79%(351/445) correct assessments. Accuracy using look-up tables was 70%(308/438). Growth charts performed worst: 61%(217/353) correct (p-value<0.01). The mean number of scenarios (±SD) correctly identified by each participant in 4-minutes was 3.5(±2.19) using growth charts; 4.97(±2.50) using look-up tables; 5.66(±2.69) using MAMI charts (ANOVA, p-value<0.01). This translates to approximately 53, 75 and 85 correct assessments per participant in an hour for the respective tools. No statistically significant differences were found with participants’ years of experience or profession type. Most participants, 43/62(69%), preferred the MAMI chart and reported it to be easier and faster to use than traditional tools. We conclude that weight-for-age assessment is quicker and more accurate using the newly-developed MAMI slide chart as opposed to traditional methods. It should be further field tested in other settings since the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of treatment programmes is great.

CITATION EXPORT

Meenakshi Monga, Catherine Sikorski, Himali de silva et al.. Identifying underweight in infants and children using growth charts, lookup tables and a novel “MAMI” slide chart: A cross-over diagnostic and acceptability study. PLOS Global Public Health. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002303

AUTHORS

5 · 4 CENTRES

Meenakshi Monga, Catherine Sikorski, Himali de silva, Marie McGrath, Marko Kerac

1Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
2Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
3Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
4McGill University, CANADA