USE OF UPPER-ARM ANTHROPOMETRY AS MEASURE OF BODY-COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS (6-20 YEARS) OF ASSAM, NORTHEAST INDIA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Upper-arm muscle area (UMA), upper-arm fat area (UFA), arm-fat index (AFI),
upper-arm fat estimate (UFE) and upper-arm muscle estimate (UME) was introduced for the assessment
of body-composition. This cross-sectional study assessed age-sex specific upper-arm composition and
nutritional status among children and adolescents.
METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 1545 (770 boys; 775 girls) Sonowal
Kacharis of Dibrugarh District, Assam, Northeast-India, using multi-stage stratified random sampling
method. The anthropometric measurements of height, weight, triceps and mid-upper-arm circumference
were recorded. The upper-arm composition was assessed using standard equations. Nutritional status
was assessed using standard classification of upper-arm muscle-area by height (UAMAH) and thinness
(low BMI-for-age).
RESULTS: Age and sex-specific muscularity were found significantly greater among boys than girls
(p<0.01), while adiposity was significantly greater among girls (p<0.01), particularly when they
approached to puberty. The overall prevalence of low and below-average UAMAH was found to be
16.38% and 22.65% respectively. The overall prevalence of thinness was 23.69% (26.36% boys, 21.03%
girls) (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION: Body-composition and nutritional status of these children and adolescents were found
markedly unsatisfactory using upper-arm composition, UAMAH and thinness. The combination of
upper-arm composition and conventional anthropometric measures appear to be useful for body-
composition and nutritional status assessment.