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The following is a summary of “Cutoff points of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) for diagnosis of adolescent obesity: a systematic review with metanalysis and MOSTA tape proposal: MUAC cutoff for diagnosis of adolescent obesity,” published in the February 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Nogueira-de-Almeida et al.
Adolescents are a particularly susceptible demographic to obesity, emphasizing the pivotal need for timely detection as the foundational step in implementing preventive and therapeutic measures. This study embarks on a systematic review and meta-analysis with the dual objective of proposing optimal cutoff points and introducing a straightforward tool for the screening and swift diagnosis of adolescent obesity. The research, encompassing studies published between January 1990 and December 2022 focusing on mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and obesity in adolescents aged 10 to 18, meticulously adheres to the PRISMA statement and checklist.
Employing a meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies and leveraging the advanced capabilities of the new “diagmeta” package in the R software, the study estimates optimal cutoff values along with corresponding sensitivity and specificity. Notably registered under the PROSPERO Submission number 387301, the meta-analysis includes six papers that fully meet the inclusion criteria, involving a comprehensive cohort of 39,149 adolescents from five countries. The proposed methodology yields simplified MUAC cutoff points, stratified by gender and age, for effectively screening adolescents at risk for obesity: 23 cm for girls and 23.5 cm for boys (10-14 years); 28.14 cm for girls and 27.14 cm for boys (15-20 years).
In conclusion, through its systematic review and meta-analysis, this study not only proposes streamlined MUAC cutoff points for obesity screening in adolescents but also introduces the MUAC Obesity Screening Tool for Adolescents (MOSTA tape). This tool is designed with simplicity and rapid diagnosis in mind, representing a valuable contribution to the field with potential implications for enhancing the efficiency of adolescent obesity identification and management.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667009724000034