Potential of mid-upper arm circumference to replace body mass index as a screening tool for assessment of nutritional status: A study among a rural elderly population in eastern India
Journal Title: National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology - Year 2018, Vol 8, Issue 5
Abstract
Background: Malnutrition in the form of undernutrition or overnutrition has reached epidemic proportions globally in all age groups assessment of which often becomes very difficult among the elderly since many of them cannot even stand for accurate measurement of their height and weight. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess and to find the optimum cutoff of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) to predict overweight/obesity using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2017–August 2017 among 335 elderly, in two villages, West Bengal. Height, weight, and MUAC were measured for each subject. ROC curve analysis was used to estimate the cutoff values of MUAC. Results: Mean (standard deviation) age of the participants was 67.40 (6.19) years. More than half were overweight and 14 (4.2%) were obese. MUAC and body mass index (BMI) had strong significant positive correlation (r = 0.79). On ROC for MUAC to have overweight/ obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m2 ), area under curve was 0.9133 which signifies MUAC as a excellent screening and predictive tool. With Youden’s method as well with closest to top-left method, optimum cutoff of MUAC was found to be 21.75 cm. At this cutoff, an elderly individual will have BMI ≥25 kg/m2 with a sensitivity of 87.30% and specificity of 78.49%. Conclusion: Our study suggests that MUAC has potential for surveillance of overweight/obesity and has a predictive tool to identify elderly who will need further assessment of obesity and its associated comorbidities.
Authors and Affiliations
Shobhit Garg, Bijit Biswas, Swanya P Maharana, Aparajita Dasgupta
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP489536
- DOI 10.5455/njppp.2018.8.1247426122017
- Views 82
- Downloads 0
Use of complementary and alternative medicines in Indian elderly patients
Background: Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is more common in elderly patients due to the prevalence of various age-related chronic medical conditions. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics change...
Assessment of level of stress and its correlation with blood pressure in medical students
Background: Hypertension is a global problem which can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. Medical education can impose significant psychological stress on undergraduates. Considerable degree of psy...
Drug dispensing practices in private pharmacies in Goa
Background: In India, patients self-order both over-the-counter and prescription-only drugs in pharmacies, although the dispensing of the latter without a prescription is unlawful. Good pharmacy practice (GPP) guidelines...
A comparative study of intraocular pressure and ocular perfusion pressure changes in prehypertensive individuals
Background: According to the WHO, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), an important determinant of ocular blood flow, represents the balance between the opposin...
Effect of gum arabic and Nigella sativa on T-helper1 and T-helper2 immune response in Wistar rats infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Background: The herbal medications are widely used in folk medicine for treatment of variable diseases and infection. Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) is a Gram-positive bacteria that cause severe organ affection, especially i...