Examining the accuracy of the New Zealand B4 School Check universal health service anthropometric measurements of children
Burt Hatch, Andrew R Gray, Rachael W Taylor, Maha Hanna, Anne-Louise Heath, Julie Lawrence, Rachel Sayers, Barry Taylor
Child weight data from the New Zealand B4 School Check assessment service was compared to data collected as part of a study that followed the World Health Organization protocol for weight measurement. This indicated that the New Zealand B4 School Check assessment service tends to overestimate child weight. This overestimation is greater when New Zealand B4 School Check assessments occur on colder days, suggesting that it is due to excess clothing. The New Zealand B4 School Check service monitoring child growth could be improved by including standardised procedures to account for non-removal of clothing.