Calculating weight for age z-scores in stata

[Fredrick orwa]

Dear colleagues am trying to calculate weight for age z-score in stata but am just getting value 99 for ages more than 5 years.My data has age ranging from 2 months to 11 years.How can I calculate valid weight for age z-score for those aged above 5 years. Am using zscore06 command.Is there another command or a better way of doing it?

[David Radwin]

Please remember to cite the author and source of user-written programs, as requested in the FAQ. I am not familiar with zscore06, but I can see that it was written by Jef Leroy and is available from SSC. According to its description,

. . . weight-for-age Z-scores are calculated for children 0 to 5 years of age. If the age, height or weight values are outside the range of reference values, a value of 99 is given for the corresponding z-score(s).

It appears that you cannot use this program for children older than 5. You might be able to learn how to extend the program to older children by looking at its code:

viewsource zscore06.ado

[Clyde Schechter]

Run -findit zanthro- and you will see there is a user-written package available from Stata Journal. Just follow the links to get it.

[Rukman Mecca]

Kindly inform if we can find MUAC (Mid upper arm circumference) z score using zscore06 command? I found length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age in the help file. Any other way to find muacz ?
Thanks in advance.

[Fredrick orwa]

Dear Rukman have a look at zanthro using WHO version. Type help zanthro, it has almost similar calculation as zscore06 but calculate circumference

[Rukman Mecca]

Thank you for the response Fredrick orwa . I did checked the zanthro help file but I could only find ha height-for-age, wa weight-for-age, ba bmi-for-age, hca head circumference-for-age, la length-for-age, wh weight-for-height, wl weight-for-length. Is there any other way to find Mid upper arm circumference specifically?
Thanks in advance

[Tarun Choudhary]

Dear Rukman have a look at zanthro using WHO version. Type help zanthro, it has almost similar calculation as zscore06 but calculate circumference

As rightly pointed out by Fredrick orwa, the WHO Child Growth Charts and WHO Reference 2007 Charts, version WHO in the zanthro package has the option for aca (arm circumference-for-age) for the age group of 0.25-5 years. This is the same as MUAC z score that you are interested in.

[Rukman Mecca]

Great, Thank you Tarun Choudhary and Fredrick orwa .