>The researchers analyzed the data from the Indian National Family Health
>Survey (NFHS), conducted from 1992 to 1993, to determine the relationship
>between the timing of weaning and stunting in children aged 24 to 47 months.
>Stunting was defined as height more than 2 standard deviations below the
>median and weaning as the age at which complementary foods are introduced
>and exclusive or predominant breastfeeding ends.
What was the initial motivation for the study? Who sponsored/ funded it?

Also, lots of variables need to be clarified here:
1. What does stunted mean? Is there some "objective" measure or
are they comparing kids with one another? How were all the babies and
kids fed? Is this an area with broad ethnic diversity in which case
there may be a wide range of "natural" heights that kids achieve.
1 number as a mean or median height may be meaningless.
2. What kinds of complementary foods are kids weaned to? Does it vary
among
regions?
3. How big is the standard deviation?
4. What is the economic situation of these families? Any correlation
between
poverty and stunting?
5. How long were these kids followed? Is it possible that the "stunting"
if
it exists is temporary and they catch up later?


>The NFHS 1992-1993 was a comprehensive survey that collected data from over
>88,000 households and covered 25 Indian provinces. The investigators'
>analysis was limited to 6,285 children whose anthropometric records were
>available.
That's about 7% of the total households.
How powerful is that % statistically in this case?

>According to the survey findings, 52.0% of the children were stunted, and
>weaning was initiated at or after 6 months of age in nearly half of the
>children.

That means in just over half of stunted kids weaning was initiated before
6
months. Maybe we should read this the other way around. Breastfeeding
over
6 months protects kids from stunting. 52% of children were stunted.
Weaning
was initiated before 6 months in just over half the children.

Numbers are funny things, especially when we use words to try to
interpret them.

Naomi Bar-Yam

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