Assessment of the nutritional status of children aged 5-12 years using upper arm composition

Background: Upper arm muscle area (UMA) and upper arm fat area (UFA) were introduced for assessment of child nutritional status. Aim: This cross-sectional study assesses child nutritional status using UMA and UFA. It also evaluates the suitability of upper arm muscle area by height (UAMAH) for assessing child undernutrition with respect to stunting and wasting. Subjects and methods: The study was conducted among 1248 children (619 boys; 629 girls) aged 5-12 years belonging to the Bengalee Muslim Population of West Bengal, India. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference and triceps skin-fold were recorded. Nutritional status was assessed using UMA, UFA and UAMAH. Percentile curves were derived using the least median square method. Results: Mean age specific values of UMA, UFA and UAMAH of boys and girls were markedly below the 5th percentile. Using UAMAH, a very high proportion of children (boys, 91.28%; girls, 88.55%) were found to be under-nourished. Prevalence of stunting (boys, 39.74%; girls, 41.49%) and wasting (boys, 19.55%; girls, 15.74%) were also found to be high. Conclusion: The combination of UMA, UFA, UAMAH and conventional nutritional indices appear to be useful for assessment of child under-nutrition.