What measurement indicates stunted growth in children?

Stunted growth in children is indicated by the measurement of height for age. This method assesses whether a child's height is appropriate for their age and sex, reflecting their growth potential and overall nutritional status. Stunting typically results from chronic malnutrition or prolonged illnesses, and measuring height against age helps to identify if a child is growing adequately compared to their peers.

When a child's height is significantly below the expected range for their age, it signals that they may have experienced insufficient nutrition during critical growth periods, leading to short stature. This is crucial as stunting can have long-term implications for a child's health, development, and cognitive abilities.

In contrast, the other measurements focus on different aspects of growth and nutrition. Height/weight can indicate whether a child is underweight or overweight but does not specifically assess chronic malnutrition. Weight/age can reflect acute malnutrition but is not reliable for assessing long-term growth issues like stunting. Weight/height is useful for assessing acute malnutrition and obesity but again does not directly correlate with stunting. Hence, height/age is the specific measure for identifying stunted growth.