This supplement to the ACC/SCN's First Report on the World Nutrition Situation (ACC/SCN. Nov. 1987, referred to here as the Report) essentially expands section 4 of that report - the Technical Notes - to give more details, for two main purposes. In the first place, it was felt that an understanding of what is known about the world nutrition situation needs considerable detail on sources of data, assumptions, and analytical methods; in addition, the basic data used are reproduced here¹ for possible further examination or analysis. Second, the methods may be used, no doubt with some development, for future reports on world nutrition. This supplement will provide a source of reference for methodology.
It should be stressed that all estimates used have been based on available data, virtually all published elsewhere - references are given - by the agencies concerned. These are primarily FAO, WHO, and the United Nations Population Division, whose assistance is much appreciated in providing information and advice. In particular, we should emphasize the help of FAO in undertaking many computer calculations from their data base (mainly AGROSTAT) - often rapidly and at short notice.
The basic data given in the Annex Table AI gives the data available from FAO and UN Population Division, as of November 1987, for all countries included, used to estimate underweight prevalences by the methods described below. Table All gives the anthropometric data used to develop the models. The aggregated data in Table AIII are based on these and thus have the same validity. The data on anthropometric surveys in Table AII, the majority of which were obtained through WHO, were checked for consistency with WHO as of October 1987.
