2025 Southeastern Residency Conference

Title: Correlation of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference in Malnutrition Assessment for Pediatrics in Southern Rural Malawi
 
Authors: Christian Brown
 
Objective: To assess the correlation between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) z-scores and World Health Organization (WHO) weight-for-height z-scores; to assess the correlation between MUAC z-scores and various disease states.
 
Self-Assessment Question: Which of the following disease states is associated with malnutrition measured by MUAC z-score?
 
Background: Moderate to severe malnutrition is a modifiable risk factor for poor outcomes such as death, increased susceptibility to infectious disease, and poor cognitive function in young children. Screening for nutritional status should be conducted in both inpatient and outpatient/community settings, with common methods being WHO weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), Subjective Global Assessment, and MUAC z-score. MUAC z-scores can be measured using a standardized paper tape, a tool more portable and affordable than tools for measuring height for weight, that is a scale and stadiometer. This assessment compares nutrition status measured via MUAC z-score and WHZ while determining the association between MUAC z-score and prevalence of anemia, malaria, HIV, typhoid, dermatologic infections, and helminth infestations.
 
Methods: Patient data were collected from multiple community outreach clinics conducted in southern, rural Malawi during May 2024 and provided to the researchers in a de-identified database (therefore, this study was determined to be non-human subjects research by the East Tennessee State University Institutional Review Board). Although healthcare was provided to all presenting patients, only children 2 months to 18 years of age were included in the analysis. Data were excluded if no MUAC risk category was available or if the values recorded appeared incongruent with life. SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) software was used to assess statistical correlations. Spearman coefficient was used to determine the association between MUAC z-score and WHZ, while multinomial regression and Chi-square tests were used to determine the association between MUAC z-score and various disease states.
 
Results: In progress.
 
Conclusion: In progress.