Methodology/protocol for the Scottish Child Health Surveillance- height&weight measurement?

Can anyone please tell me where I can find online the Scottish Child Health Surveillance Project Board set clinical guidelines for health professionals taking height and weight measurements ?





Thanks very much|||The prevalence of obesity and undernutrition in Scottish children: growth monitoring with the child health surveillance programmeDescription


Full Reference: J Armstrong and JJ Reilly (2003) The prevalence of obesity and undernutrition in Scottish children: growth monitoring within the Child Health Surveillance Programme. Scottish Medical Journal, 48(2): 32-7.





Published Abstract:





Objective: To assess whether anthropometric data, routinely collected as part of the Scottish Child Health Surveillance System (CHSP- PS, pre-school children; CHSP-S, school age children) could provide a means of monitoring/surveillance for obesity and undernutrition at national and health board level.





Design: A survey of 15 health boards and both surveillance systems to identify the nature of data collected, format of data, and extent to which data were accessible (e.g. via Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency). Measurements of weight and height collected as part of the CHSP-PS and CHSP-S were extracted from ISD. They were then audited and missing values or implausible values quantified, and degree of dispersion of values used as an index of quality of measurements. Setting: Health Board Child Health Surveillance Systems and Information and Statistics Division, Edinburgh.





Results: Data on height and weight are currently available for 9 health boards for pre-school children and 4 health boards for school age children. This represents coverage of around 80 % of the pre-school child population. Analysis of a data extract from the 39-42 month check in 1998/99, used as an example, revealed that 8% of weight and height data were missing, and approx. 1 % were implausible measures. Population and health board level estimates of prevalence of obesity and undernutrition were possible and are presented. Data on height and weight are routinely collected in school age children in all health boards, however only 4 health boards have growth data electronically available via the school CHSP.





Conclusions: Growth data routinely collected as part of child health surveillance for Scotland can be used to estimate population prevalence of undernutrition and obesity. These can in turn be used to monitor trends at local and national level, to monitor achievement in relation to public health targets, identify risk factors and high risk groups, and to follow cohorts over time. We describe a system of surveillance for undernutrition and obesity and identify its strengths and weaknesses.





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