Use of mid-upper arm circumference for determining overweight and overfatness in children and adolescents

摘要: Objective To assess the use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) for identification overweight and overfatness in rural South African children adolescents. Methods Anthropometric data (weight, height, MUAC % body fat) from a cross-sectional sample 978 black 5–14-year-olds were analysed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined validity as proxy determining overfatness. Findings Area under (AUC) results generally high. Boys girls aged 10–14 years had ROC-AUC classed ‘excellent’, 0.97 0.98 respectively. Cut-points distribution which optimised obesity boys 5–9 years, high sensitivity specificity. Conclusions may have potential clinical surveillance applications an accurate yet simple widely available indicator adolescents resource-poor settings.