A national-level workshop titled “Capacity Building and Multi-site Harmonization Workshop” was successfully organized under the research project ‘AROHAN (Assessment of Reference Outcomes for Health, Anthropometry and Nutrition in Childhood to Adolescence)’. Currently, reference standards for children’s height and weight measurements are largely based on international data. However, considering that the body composition of Indian children differs from that of foreign populations, continued reliance on such standards may lead to variations in assessment criteria. Taking this into account, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated this study focusing on Indian children. For this research, premier institutions including AIIMS New Delhi, AIIMS Kalyani, CMC Vellore, Rainbow Children’s Hospital Hyderabad, JSS Medical College Mysuru, Community Empowerment Lab (CEL) Lucknow, NBMG Kalyani, and Walawalkar Medical College have been selected. The workshop was organized jointly by ARUMDA (Advanced Research Unit for Metabolism, Development and Aging) under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Walawalkar Hospital. It focused on the examination of children aged 4 to 12 years. Around 30–31 researchers and experts from reputed institutions across the country participated in the workshop. The objective of the workshop was to standardize the measurement of health, nutrition, body composition, and metabolism-related parameters in children and adolescents across all participating centers. During the उद्घाटन (inaugural session), Medical Director Dr. Suvarna Patil, along with Prof. Ullas Kolthur and Prof. Mahendra Sonawane from ARUMDA-TIFR Hyderabad, Dr. Birsen Yilmaz and team were present. Additionally, Biostatistician Charudatta Jogalekar, Anthropologist Dr. Vaishali Deshpande, Pediatrician Dr. Parvati Halbe, Rohit Bhat, and representatives from various centers participated. Distinguished experts and researchers from ICMR also joined the workshop online and provided valuable guidance. The workshop commenced with an inaugural address by Dr. Amlin Shukla from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Throughout the day-long workshop, participants received detailed training on anthropometry, body composition assessment, biospecimen collection, app-based data collection, questionnaire administration, as well as sample handling and storage. Practical demonstrations and hands-on training were provided for measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference, and mid-upper arm circumference. Approximately 80% of the workshop was based on hands-on practical sessions, enabling participants to gain valuable experience in research quality enhancement, standardization, and multi-site coordination. Conducted under the guiding principle of “One Protocol, One Standard, One Quality,” this workshop marks a significant milestone in the field of child health and nutrition research and opens new avenues for future national collaborations.
