A diagnostic test for malnutrition in adults: mid-upper arm circumference towards body mass index: A literature review

  • Fathiyyatul Khaira Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia-Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Fiastuti Witjaksono Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia-Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Diyah Eka Andayani Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia-Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
Keywords: BMI, diagnostic test, malnutrition, MUAC

Abstract

Body mass index is commonly used for detecting malnutrition. At certain conditions, body mass index cannot be measured, so mid-upper arm circumference can be an alternative measurement for detecting malnutrition. Several studies have proposed the cut-off point of mid-upper arm circumference in adults along with its sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC). This article aims to describe the diagnostic test for malnutrition using the upper arm circumference in adults and summarize the results of the related studies.

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Submitted

2021-01-15
Accepted
2021-01-18
Published
2021-08-27