Measuring change in nutritional status: guidelines for assessing the nutritional impact of supplementary feeding programmes for vulnerable groups (WHO) [book review].

A WHO manual for the health professional who needs to evaluate the effectiveness of a supplementary feeding program is reviewed. The stated objectives of the books guidelines are: to assist countries receiving food in identifying the presence and/or absence of nutritional changes in selected population groups benefiting from food supplements; and to permit these countries to modify the scope and organization of feeding programs based on such identifying measurements. The text describes how age and body height and weight measurements can be used to estimate nutritional status for infants preschool children and primary school children. Methods for sampling data collection data analysis and interpretations are discussed and helpful examples are given.