[Development of a methodology for the assessment of the nutritional status at the level of household units].

The results of statistical analysis may be questionable when data measured by different units are compared. This is the case when nutritional status, which is quantitated individually, is compared with social variables (such as family income, patterns of education, housing, etc.), measured by households. In a nutritional anthropology study, the anthropometric measures of children have to be plotted against these social factors. Therefore, a method to evaluate the nutritional status of children at household level was devised; this procedure reduced the variables to one single unit. The "Analysis of Main Components" (ACP) was found satisfactory, using the family average of the following indexes: weight/height, weight/age and height/age. Also, two new indexes were created by giving a numerical value to the slightly modified Waterlow's classification. As a result, households were automatically divided into three groups: 1) households with well-nourished children, 2) households with children at risk of malnutrition, and 3) households with malnourished children. This was accomplished using the "ANADA" package created by PRIAD, University of Costa Rica, and a Burroughs B6920 computer. The method is useful for nutritional anthropology programs as well as for nutritional surveillance activities.