Arm muscle and fat in the evaluation of nutritional status. A study of African pre-school children in three different environments.

Anthropometric variables were collected in 10230 clinically healthy children under 5 years of age. The children belong to three African tribes living in different environments. The conventional anthropometric methods of screening children nutritionally at risk were used and their validity is scrutinised. It is shown that, to assess nutritional condition, arm muscle area and arm fat area add essential information to data on weight-for-age, weight-for-height and arm circumference-for-age. It is suggested that the choice of anthropometric methods and standards must be adapted to the ecological situation.