Mid-upper arm circumference >26 cm for overweight and >28 cm for obesity demonstrated good discriminatory performance as an alternative to BMI in pregnant women.
Cohort (n=2,502)
Sí
Does mid-upper arm circumference accurately detect maternal overweight and obesity compared to body mass index in pregnant women?
MUAC values >26 cm for maternal overweight and >28 cm for maternal obesity demonstrate good discriminatory performance and may serve as practical screening thresholds in resource-limited settings.
Estimación del efecto: β 0.89 (95% CI 0.85-0.93)
valor p: p=<0.001
Currently, no globally agreed mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) cut-offs exist to identify obesity in pregnant women. This study aimed to validate MUAC as an alternative to body mass index (BMI) for detecting maternal overweight/obesity and establish optimal cut-offs. An ambispective cohort study was conducted in six Eastern Ethiopian hospitals, involving 2,502 singleton pregnant women enrolled before 16 weeks of gestation. Maternal weight and MUAC were measured twice (early and late pregnancy). Using early-pregnancy BMI as the gold standard, MUAC's diagnostic accuracy was evaluated via linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Optimal MUAC cut-off points were determined using Youden's index, and diagnostics were calculated to evaluate MUAC performance. A significant positive correlation was observed between BMI and MUAC (early pregnancy: r = 0.69; late pregnancy: r = 0.72). Optimal MUAC cut-offs for overweight were 25.95 cm (early) and 27.05 cm (late); for obesity, 27.75 cm (early) and 28.85 cm (late), with high sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Regression equations of BMI during early pregnancy = 1.09 + 0.89 × MUAC (95% CI: 0.85-0.93; p 26 cm for maternal overweight and > 28 for maternal obesity demonstrated good discriminatory performance and may serve as practical screening thresholds in resource limited settings. Broader validation across diverse populations could facilitate the integration of MUAC into routine antenatal screening program, strengthening early identification and management of maternal overweight/obesity.
Tola et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Maternal overweight/obesity (n=2,502). Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) vs. Body mass index (BMI) was evaluated on Diagnostic accuracy and correlation of MUAC compared to BMI for detecting maternal overweight/obesity (β 0.89, 95% CI 0.85-0.93, p=<0.001). Mid-upper arm circumference >26 cm for overweight and >28 cm for obesity demonstrated good discriminatory performance as an alternative to BMI in pregnant women.