The extent of residual lower-extremity shortening in the origins of endemic stunting among guatemalan preschoolers: A photographic examination

Joni J.S. Beintema, Noel W. Solomons, María del Rosario García-Meza, Mónica N. Orozco, Rebecca Gwaltney, Heike B. Rolker, Colleen M. Doak*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Linear growth is dependent on the differential elongation of the trunk and legs. Measurements of trunk length and leg length are important to understand the biological assessment of stunting (low height-for-age). This study aims to apply photographic imaging to compare the trunk-to-leg ratio of preschool children from public schools (students representing households with low socioeconomic status or SES) to the peers from private schools (high SES) in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Children aged 4-7 years, from two socio-economic and geographic settings were enrolled. Standing height was measured. A standard sagittal photograph with the child standing in erect posture with the Frankfort Gaze was taken from a 3-meter distance with a digital camera. The length of the trunk and of the legs was measured in mm from printed photographic images, and trunk-to-leg ratios were calculated. The higher SES children were on average 7.0 cm taller and had, on average, longer trunks (p < 0.05) and legs (p < 0.001) and lower trunk-to-leg ratios (p < 0.001) than their relatively stunted peers representing households with lower SES. Methodological testing showed high intra-and inter-rater reliability (r > 0.90) of the photographic method. Photographic imaging is a participant and user-friendly method to assess the relative length of the trunk and lower extremities of young children.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHuman Growth and Nutrition in Latin American and Caribbean Countries
EditorsSudip Datta Banik
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Chapter8
Pages183-198
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9783031278488
ISBN (Print)9783031278471, 9783031278501
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Ethnicity
  • Guatemala
  • Stunting
  • Trunk-to-leg ratio
  • Undernutrition

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