Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying children with obesity: a 12-country study
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Date
2016
Authors
Chaput, J-P.
Katzmarzyk, P.T.
Barnes, J.D.
Fogelholm, M.
Hu, G.
Kuriyan, R.
Kurpad, A.
Lambert, E.V.
Maher, C.
Maia, J.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Background: No studies have examined if mid-upper arm circumference
(MUAC) can be an alternative screening tool for obesity in an international sample
of children differing widely in levels of human development.
Objective: Our aim is to determine whether MUAC could be used to identify
obesity in children from 12 countries in five major geographic regions of the world.
Methods: This observational, multinational cross-sectional study included 7337
children aged 9–11 years. Anthropometric measurements were objectively
assessed, and obesity was defined according to the World Health Organization
reference data.
Results: In the total sample, MUAC was strongly correlated with adiposity indicators
in both boys and girls (r>0.86, p<0.001). The accuracy level of MUAC for
identifying obesity was high in both sexes and across study sites (overall area under
the curve of 0.97, sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 90%). The MUAC cut-off
value to identify obesity was ~25 cm for both boys and girls. In country-specific
analyses, the cut-off value to identify obesity ranged from 23.2cm (boys in South
Africa) to 26.2cm (girls in the UK).
Conclusions: Results from this 12-country study suggest that MUAC is a simple
and accurate measurement that may be used to identify obesity in children aged
9–11 years. MUAC may be a promising screening tool for obesity in resourcelimited
settings
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Adiposity, Arm circumference, Body mass index, Children