Role of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference for Determining Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents
Published: August 1, 2017 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/27442.10422
Madhur Jaiswal, Rajesh Bansal, Ashok Agarwal
1. Junior Resident, Department of Paediatrics, Rohilkhand Medical College, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Rohilkhand Medical College, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
3. Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Rohilkhand Medical College, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Madhur Jaiswal,
Junior Resident, Department of Paediatrics, Rohilkhand Medical College, Bareilly-243006, Uttar Pradesh, India.
E-mail: madhurgames@gmail.com
Introduction: The prevalence of obesity in adolescents and children has risen to alarming levels globally and this has led to serious public health consequences.
Aim: To assess the use of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) in the identification of overweight and obesity in North Indian children and adolescents.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, India, from October 2014 to November 2015. Anthropometric data (weight, height and MUAC) was collected from a cross-sectional sample of 875 children aged 5–14 year old. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the validity of MUAC as a proxy for determining overweight and obesity.
Results: Area Under the Curve (AUC) results were generally high (0.92 – 0.98). The accuracy level of MUAC for identifying obesity was high in both sexes and across age groups (overall AUC of 0.95, sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 90%). The MUAC cut-off to identify BMI defined obesity was 18.8 cm and 19.4 cm for boys and girls of 5-9 age group; 23 cm and 23.3 cm for boys and girls of 10-14 age group.
Conclusion: MUAC may have potential for clinical and surveillance applications as an accurate yet simple and widely available indicator of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in resourcepoor settings.
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