Mid-upper arm circumference and body mass index as different screening tools of nutritional and weight status in Polish schoolchildren across socio-political changes

Natalia Nowak-Szczepanska,Slawomir Koziel,Aleksandra Gomula

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48843-5

Abstract

Intergenerational changes in many biological traits are indicators of environmental conditions. One of such anthropometric measures is the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) which estimates nutritional status. Likewise, Body Mass Index (BMI) is widely used as an anthropometric indicator of relative weight. The aim of this study was to reveal secular trends in MUAC and BMI, as biological indicators of changing living conditions, between 1966 and 2012 among Polish children from different socioeconomic groups. Total sample involved 64 393 schoolchildren aged 7–18 years, investigated in 4 Surveys (1966, 1978, 1988, 2012). Overall socioeconomic status (SES) was divided into two categories: lower and higher (including: urbanization, family size, parental education). Results showed that MUAC and BMI differed significantly with respect to the year of survey, sex and SES category. Both measures were higher within higher SES group compared to the lower one until 1988, while in 2012 convergence of these indicators in both SES categories was observed. Both the year of survey, sex, SES category and interactions between them had higher impact on MUAC than BMI (measured by effect size). Our findings revealed that long-term socioeconomic changes affect MUAC more noticeably than BMI. Therefore MUAC may be a more accurate screening tool.

Highlights

Mid-upper arm circumference and body mass index as different screening tools of nutritional and weight status in Polish schoolchildren across socio-political changes
The post hoc comparisons rarely revealed significant sex differences for Z-Body Mass Index (BMI)
Z-mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was higher in girls in 1966 in both socioeconomic status (SES) categories as well as in 1978 and in in lower SES category (p < 0.01), but in 2012 its value significantly increased in favour of boys from higher

Summary

Introduction

Mid-upper arm circumference and body mass index as different screening tools of nutritional and weight status in Polish schoolchildren across socio-political changes. Intergenerational changes in many biological traits are indicators of environmental conditions One of such anthropometric measures is the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) which estimates nutritional status. Results showed that MUAC and BMI differed significantly with respect to the year of survey, sex and SES category Both measures were higher within higher SES group compared to the lower one until 1988, while in 2012 convergence of these indicators in both SES categories was observed. The mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is an anthropometric screening tool that is useful especially in monitoring severe undernutrition[1] It is a reliable biological indicator of overweight and obesity among children in resource-limited areas[2,3]. After 1990s, in many developed and some developing countries, there was a reversal of this socioeconomic stratification, where lower SES groups revealed higher level of excess weight, mainly due to their easier access to cheap, but high-caloric food products [see: e.g.9,10]

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