SCN reports on nutritional assessments of adolescents and adults

The UN ACC/Sub-committee on Nutrition has recently published two reports (July 2000) on 'the assessment of adult and adolescent nutritional status in emergency-affected populations'. The report on adults describes simple techniques suitable for the assessment of nutritional status of adults aged 20-60 years old in emergency affected populations. BMI, MUAC and clinical models are assessed for their usefulness in determining the prevalence of chronic under-nutrition in adults at the population level and also for screening severely undernourished adults for entrance to feeding clinics. The report on adolescents tackles problems with anthropometry in adolescents and possible solutions. A number of 'tentative and preliminary' recommendations are made in this report.

Summaries of the main findings of these reports will appear in the next issue of Field Exchange. Copies of both reports are obtainable from: ACC/Sub-committee on Nutrition, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.