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Title
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Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying adolescents with thinness
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Author
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Abstract
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| Objective: To evaluate the performance of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) to identify thinness in the late adolescence period (aged 15-19 years) in Ethiopia. Design: We conducted a school-based cross-sectional study. The receiver operating characteristics curve was used to examine the validity of MUAC compared with BMI Z-score to identify adolescents with thinness (BMI Z-score sd). Settings: Fifteen high schools (grade 9-12) located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants: A total of 851 adolescent (456 males and 395 females) were included in the study. Results: The prevalence of thinness and severe thinness among high-school adolescents in Addis Ababa was 9 center dot 5 % (95 % CI 7 center dot 7, 11 center dot 7 %). The overall AUC for MUAC against BMI Z-score <-2 SD was 0 center dot 91 (95 % CI 0 center dot 88, 0 center dot 93). The optimal MUAC cut-offs to identify thinness were 23 center dot 3 cm for males and 22 center dot 6 cm for females. These cut-off points give high sensitivity and specificity for both males (a sensitivity of 87 center dot 9 % and a specificity of 75 center dot 9 %) and females (a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity 88 center dot 2 %). Conclusions: MUAC has a comparable level of accuracy with BMI Z-score to identify thinness in adolescents aged 15-19 years. Hence, MUAC could be used as an alternative tool for surveillance and screening of thinness among adolescents aged 15-19 years. The optimum cut-off proposed by this study may incorrectly include a large number of adolescents when used in a relatively well-nourished population. In this situation, it would be necessary to choose a cut-off with greater positive predictive value. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Public health nutrition. - -
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Publication
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2021
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ISSN
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1368-9800
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DOI
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10.1017/S1368980020003869
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Volume/pages
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24
:3
(2021)
, p. 457-466
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Article Reference
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PII S1368980020003869
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ISI
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000608455300008
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Pubmed ID
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33121554
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Medium
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E-only publicatie
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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