Mid-upper-arm Circumference and Arm-to-height Ratio in Evaluation of Overweight and Obesity in Han Children

Lu, Qiang; Wang, Rui; Lou, Dong-Hui; Ma, Chunxiao; Liu, Xiaoli; Yin, Fei

doi:10.1016/j.pedneo.2013.05.004

Cited by 24 publications

(46 citation statements)

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“…Further studies confirmed the usefulness of MUAC for obesity detection. [15][16][17] However, cut-off values for MUAC were age and gender specific and varied across ethnic groups.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[14][15][16][17] Initially, MUAC was developed as a simple and practical proxy for under-nutrition in critical conditions and in emergency settings. 18 Because of its feasibility and accuracy, MUAC has been considered for early detection of overweight and obesity.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the measurement of MUAC is independent of respiratory movements and postprandial abdominal distension; therefore, it may be a more reliable index than waist circumference. 16 Craig et al 14 provided the proof of concept that MUAC could also be used to evaluate over-nutrition. MUAC was accurate for identifying both overweight (defined by BMI) and over-fatness (assessed by bioelectrical impedance) in children aged 5 to 14 years in rural South Africa.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Further studies confirmed the usefulness of MUAC for obesity detection. [15][16][17] However, cut-off values for MUAC were age and gender specific and varied across ethnic groups. [14][15][16][17] An increasing number of studies have documented that the ratio of mid-upper-arm circumferenceto-height (AHtR) is another accurate tool to screen for childhood obesity.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[15][16][17] However, cut-off values for MUAC were age and gender specific and varied across ethnic groups. [14][15][16][17] An increasing number of studies have documented that the ratio of mid-upper-arm circumferenceto-height (AHtR) is another accurate tool to screen for childhood obesity. [14][15][16][17] Unlike MUAC, AHtR is not correlated with age and cut-off points can be easily interpreted by both professionals and lay people.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mid-Upper-Arm Circumference and Arm-to-Height Ratio to Identify Obesity in School-Age Children

Rerksuppaphol¹,

Rerksuppaphol²

2017

Clin Med Res

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Background:In resource-poor settings, anthropometric parameters are evaluated as potential alternatives to the body mass index (BMI) for detecting overweight and obesity in children. To this end, the mid-upperarm circumference (MUAC) and the mid-upper-arm circumference-to-height ratio (AHtR) were evaluated as proxies to BMI in Thai school-age children.Study design: An observational, cross-sectional study was performed on school-aged children.Participants: Children in grades 1 through 6 at all public elementary schools in the Ongkharak district, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand during May and June 2013 were included. This is a rural district with low per capita income.Methods: Weight, height, and MUAC were measured in school-age children and analyzed to identify optimal cut-off values for MUAC and AHtR for detection of overweight and obesity in comparison to BMI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the validity of MUAC and AHtR use.Results: Data from 3,618 children, aged 6.0-12.99 years, were analyzed. MUAC correlated with age and height (P < 0.001), but especially with body weight (r = 0.888 to 0.914) and BMI (r = 0.859 to 0.908) in both genders, while AHtR correlated with body weight and BMI (P < 0.001), but not with age. Cut-off values of MUAC for obesity diagnosis ranged from 18.9 to 25.5 cm for boys and from 19.8 to 25.4 cm for girls. Accuracy was excellent for both boys (AUC = 0.952-0.991) and girls (AUC = 0.917-0.990). Cut-off of MUAC for overweight diagnosis ranged from 17.2 to 22.4 cm for boys (AUC = 0.883-0.965) and from 18.0 to 23.2 cm for girls (AUC = 0.905-0.931). AHtR cut-off values for obesity and overweight diagnosis at 0.16 and 0.145, respectively, were determined with excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC ranged from 0.920 to 0.975). Conclusion:MUAC and AHtR were reliable tools to detect overweight and obesity in Thai school-age children. Cut-off points for MUAC were age and gender specific, while AHtR at 0.16 and 0.145 were the optimal values for both genders, independent of age. These anthropometric measurements showed excellent accuracy in predicting overweight and obesity with high specificity and sensitivity. Keywords: Anthropometry; Mid-upper-arm circumference; Arm-to-height ratio; Pediatric obesity; Overweight T he widespread prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has become an alarming public health concern in both developed and developing countries. 1-3The most common cause of obesity in children is a positive energy balance due to caloric intake in excess of caloric expenditure, combined with a genetic predisposition for weight gain. 4 Even in developing countries, lack of physical activity and the nutritional transition toward high energy food/junk food have been associated with a rise in obesity prevalence. 5,6 A previous cross-sectional study of school-age children in Ongkharak, Thailand found a prevalence of 12.8% for overweight and 9.4% for obesity, a dramatic increase among Thai children. 7Comorbidities that were previously considered "adult" diseases,...

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“…Further studies confirmed the usefulness of MUAC for obesity detection. [15][16][17] However, cut-off values for MUAC were age and gender specific and varied across ethnic groups.…”

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%