The wasting-stunting classifying scale: A new device for the rapid assessment of nutritional status of young children

A new wasting-stunting classifying scale has been developed to allow the rapid assessment of the nutritional status of young children. Three hundred and five children were classified by this device and the results compared to classification using the NCHS-WHO tables of weight-for-height and height-for-age. The field classification with the.WSC scale showed a sensitivity of 94 per cent, and a specificity of 93 per cent in weight-for-height classification, and 99 per cent sensitivity and 90 per cent specificity in height-for-age. Ninety-three per cent of the examined children were correctly classified by the WSC scale in this preliminary evaluation.