The use of mid-arm circumference for screening malnutrition in preschool children

Correlation analysis of mid-arm circumference (MAC), weight-for-age and weight-for-height obtained from 807 Malay preschool children aged 12-71 months show that MAC had a relatively low correlation with weight-for-age (r = 0.59, P <0.001) and weight-for-height (r = 0.63, P<0.001). MAC percentiles and sensitivity-specificity analysis indicate that when weight-for-age and weight-for-height were used separately to define 'true' malnutrition, MAC was not sensitive enough to detect Malaysian children with only mild to moderate protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). The value of MAC as a screening measure in malnutrition is only limited to identifying the more severe forms of PEM in young children and the present study indicates that a MAC of 13.0-13.7 cm may be used for identifying moderate to severe PEM and under 13.0 cm for severe PEM.