Evaluation of nutritional status by using of mid-upper arm circumference among children in a food insecure rural area of Bangladesh

The community based cross sectional study explored age and sex variations in under nutrition using mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) cut‐off values among 2196 (1037 boys and 1159 girls), 3‐5 years old children in a food insecure rural Bera sub district of Pabna district in Bangladesh. MUAC was measured using standard technique. The response rate was approximately 96%. Mean MUAC among boys was higher than girls at all ages except 5 years. Significant sex differences were not observed over ages. The age‐combined rates of overall (moderate and severe) under nutrition among boys (38.49%) was higher than among girls (32.22%).The age combined rates of moderate under nutrition were 36.34% and 31.03% among boys and girls, respectively. The rates of severe under nutrition were 2.15% and 1.20% among boys and girls, respectively. There were sex differences in both moderate and severe under nutrition. There was an increasing trend in the rates of overall under nutrition from 3 to 5 years in both genders. Education of mothers, housing space, family size, religion, and sex of children had significant effects on the nutritional status of children. Results of the study suggest that MUAC is a potential anthropometric indicator of child nutrition.