Taller but thinner: trends in child anthropometry in Senegal, 1990–2015

Over the 25 years of investigation, the average height of children increased by +1·88 cm, their average weight by +0·10 kg, but their BMI decreased by −0·53 kg/m2. Corresponding changes expressed in Z-scores were +0·454 in HAZ, +0·109 in WAZ and −0·302 in WHZ. This pattern of decreasing stunting while increasing wasting was correlated with decreasing child mortality, despite small changes in income per capita and in adult heights or BMI. Largest improvements in HAZ were among the lower socio-economic strata, while largest declines in WHZ were among higher socio-economic strata.