Korean J Pediatr.  2018 Jan;61(1):6-11. 10.3345/kjp.2018.61.1.6.

Mid-upper-arm circumference as a screening measure for identifying children with elevated body mass index: a study for Pakistan

• Asif M
• Aslam M
• Altaf S

• KMID: 2406080
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2018.61.1.6

Abstract

PURPOSE
Mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) is considered an alternative screening method for obesity. The aims of this investigation were to examine the ability of MUAC to correctly identify children with elevated body mass index (BMI) and to determine the best MUAC cutoff point for identification of children with high BMI.
METHODS
Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and MUAC) from a cross-sectional sample of 7,921 Pakistani children aged 5-14 years were analyzed. Pearson correlation coefficients between MUAC and other anthropometric measurements were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimal MUAC cutoff point for identifying children with high BMI.
RESULTS
Among 7,921 children, the mean (±standard deviation) age, BMI, and MUAC were 10.00 (±2.86 years), 16.16 (±2.66 kg/m2), and 17.73 (±2.59 cm), respectively. The MUAC had a strong positive correlation with BMI. The optimal MUAC cutoff points indicating elevated BMI in boys ranged from 16.76 to 22.73, while the corresponding values in girls ranged from 16.38 to 20.57.
CONCLUSION
MUAC may be used as a simple indicator of overweight/obesity in children, with reasonable accuracy in clinical settings.

Keyword

Body mass index; Body weight; Child; Obesity; Public health

MeSH Terms

Body Mass Index*
Body Weight
Child*
Female
Humans
Mass Screening*
Methods
Obesity
Pakistan*
Public Health
ROC Curve