Mid Upper Arm Circumference And Weight For Height

Ucl discovery is ucls open access repository showcasing and providing access to ucl research outputs from all ucl disciplines. Bmi criteria are used to screen for weight categories. With the upper arm held parallel to the side of the body. However there are reports from several countries that the two criteria identify different children. The objective of this study was to assess whether there was any benefit to identify malnourished children with a high risk of death to combine these two diagnostic criteria. South african journal of clinical nutrition.

If muac is 235 cm bmi is likely to be 20 kgm2. World health organization who recommends that either mid upper arm circumference muac or weight for height z scores whz are used to assess acute malnutrition prevalence. Measure the distance between the bony protrusion on the shoulder acromion and the point of the elbow olecranon process. Weight for height z score whz and mid upper arm circumference muac are two independent anthropometric indicators for diagnosing and admitting children with severe acute malnutrition sam for treatment. Ask the subject to let arm hang loose and measure around the upper arm at the mid point making sure that the tape measure is snug but not tight. The world health organization and unicef define non oedematous severe acute malnutrition sam either by a mid upper arm circumference muac less than 115 mm or by a weight for height z score whz less than 3.

While severely wasted children are at high risk of mortality muac and whz do not always identify the same population of children as having sam. Underweight bmi values 185 normal. Measure around this midpoint using a tape measure pulled snug but not tight. Weight kilogramsheight meters 2. Obtaining whz involves weight and height measurements and plotting these values on growth charts making it a lengthy and difficult process. For nhanes participants using measured height and weight values as follows.

An upper arm circumference of 32 centimeters or 126 inches indicates a bmi of 30 or greater or obesity. Diagnosis of sam is done using the mid upper arm circumference muac or weight for height z score whz as recommended by the world health organization who 6. A measure below 235 centimeters or 925 inches indicates that the person may be underweight or borderline underweight with a bmi of 20 or lower. Mid upper arm circumference has been studied as a tool for estimating someones bmi in a situation when its not possible to measure a persons height but there doesnt appear to be any. Screening for overweight using mid upper arm circumference muac among children younger than two years in the eastern cape south africa.