Study data for “Identifying underweight in infants and children using growth charts, lookup tables and a novel “MAMI” slide chart: a cross-over diagnostic and acceptability study” – User Guide

Permanent identifier

10.17037/DATA.00003513

Description

Malnutrition is a leading cause of preventable deaths in infants and children. However, to benefit from treatment and prevention programmes, malnourished children must first be identified. The MAMI chart study developed and tested a novel, low-cost weight-for-age slide chart (the "MAMI" chart) and compared it against traditional growth charts and look-up tables. This collection contains questionnaires, quantitative data, and summary results associated with the cross-over diagnostic study.

Data collection method

For this project, we developed and tested a novel, low-cost weight-for-age slide chart (the "MAMI" chart, named after a wider but very closely related programme of work on "Management of small, nutritionally At-risk Infants and their Mothers". We subsequently conducted a cross-over diagnostic study that compared the new “MAMI” slide-chart against two traditional methods, 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.

We developed 25 hypothetical clinical scenarios which presented a child’s sex, weight and age. The test task was to correctly classify as many of these as possible into normal weight, moderately underweight or severely underweight.  Numbers in each category were roughly balanced. Eight of the 25 scenarios had the WAZ score exactly at -2 or -3 z score (borderline scenarios) to make them more challenging. The answer key was developed for the questionnaires and were cross-checked for any errors, prior to the evaluation. Additionally, one-third of the scenarios were intentionally kept at borderline z-scores.

Two questionnaires were used:

• a general questionnaire containing the 25 scenarios which asked participants to select what they determined to be the correct anthropometric classification in each case (normal, moderately underweight, severely underweight). Basic participant demographics were also collected by this questionnaire.
• an acceptability questionnaire which asked for feedback on the three different assessment tools/methods.

Questionnaires were administered electronically via Microsoft forms (Office 365, Microsoft, USA).

Key dates

• Data collection period: 2 July 2022 - 20 August 2022
• Date completed: 29 May 2023
• Date submitted to repository: 19 June 2023

Keywords

Malnutrition, Diagnosis, Nutrition, Child, Child growth

Quality controls

Quality assurance procedures are outlined in publications.

Population

Human population

Ethics

Project information

Participating institutions

• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
• Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

Creators

Language of written material

File description