A package like zanthro with data from WHO is very desirable for several
reasons:
- the WHO macro for Stata is best suited for Stata SE for Windows. It
requires some tweaking to use in different platform like linux and mac
(at least changing paths in the ado file too)...
- it is said in the WHO site that it has limited functionality if run
from Stata/IC
- the WHO published the links to two different macro-set, 0-5 years and
5-19 years; it would be better to have a unique macro and a single
reference standard (0-19 years) for longitudinal studies (in other
words, it's better to run a single macro for all ages than two macros
for two age intervals)
On the other hand:
- zanthro is platform and stata-version independent
- the ado file is installed in the conventional adopath, can be used
from commandline or included in larger do-files
- it already uses two very good growth references; the third would be
definitely a great enhancement!
I agree that an updated zanthro package would be very useful and I hope
that the authors are planning an update!
Regards,
Francesco
--- Original Message ---
> Oops. Looks like the program for the under 5 standards is still using
> 2005 data. The program and data for the 5-19 standards is labeled
> "WHO Reference 2007" though, so maybe there's hope for an update...
>
> Elizabeth Rainwater wrote:
> > Hi.
> > The WHO has put together their own Stata, SAS, SPSS, and S-Plus
> > programs, which they call macros, for z-scoring data to the new
> > child growth standards. It's all available on their software page
> > (http://www.who.int/childgrowth/software/en/). I have used both the
> > under 5 child growth standards and the 5-19 year old height and bmi
> > standards programs. I found them a bit clunky to use, but fairly
> > well documented. You fill in your directory paths and variable
> > names in their provided .do file. Then when you run the .do file,
> > it sets all the variables needed for its .ado command and outputs
> > the zscores in a .dta file and an excel file. It's not nearly as
> > easy to use as the -zanthro- egen function, but it beats doing it
> > by hand.
> > HTH,
> > Elizabeth
> >
> > [email protected] wrote:
> >> The zanthro command uses to the NCHS reference standard to create
> >> age- and
> >> sex-standardized z-scores for weight, height and BMI.
> >> Last year, the World Health Organization accepted a new set of
> >> growth standards
> >> for children under six.
> >>
> >> Do you know if anyone has developed a modification of the zanthro
> >> command that
> >> uses these new growth standards?
> >>
> >> Many thanks.
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