Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey 2015-16

Tanzania, 2015 - 2016

Reference ID

TZA_2015_DHS-MIS_v01_M_v01_A_IPUMS

Producer(s)

Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children [Tanzania], Ministry of Health [Zanzibar], National Bureau of Statistics [Tanzania], Office of the Chief Government Statistician, and ICF, Minnesota Population Center

Metadata

DDI/XML JSON

Created on

Sep 19, 2018

Last modified

Sep 19, 2018

Page views

79433

Body mass index (BMI) (Female household members) (M_HWFBMI)

Data file: TZA2015-M

Overview

Valid: 0

Invalid: 0

Type: Discrete

Decimal: 0

Range: -

Format:

Questions and instructions

Value	Category
9998	Flagged cases
9999	NIU (not in universe)

Description

Definition

For female household members, HWFBMI (HA40) reports their body mass index (BMI). BMI is an anthropometric measure relating weight to height, equal to body weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) squared (W/H2). BMI is also known as the Quetelet Index, and it is a measure of acute nutritional status, based on the Fogarty Metropolitan Life tables of ideal weight for height.

The DHS Guide to Statistics offers the following guidelines for interpreting BMI scores for women age 15-49:

Normal: 18.5 to 24.9
Mildly thin: 17.0 to 18.4
Moderately thin: 16.0 to 16.9
Severely thin: less than 16.0
Overweight: 25.0 to 29.9
Obese: 30.0 or more

The original height and weight values used to calculate BMI are also included in the DHS. HWFWEIGHT (HA2) reports the female household member's weight in kilograms as measured by DHS personnel; HWFHEIGHT (HA3) reports their length or height in centimeters as measured by DHS personnel.

For an alternate measure of female nutrition, IPUMS-DHS users may also be interested in HWFROHRER (the female household member's Rohrer's Index, which is equal to body weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) cubed (W/H3)).

concept

Concept

Name	Vocabulary
Female anthropometry Variables -- PERSON	IPUMS

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