title: Pinch, cinch or step: Evaluating the effectiveness and acceptability of mid upper arm circumference measurements in adolescents with eating disorders.
abstract: Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurement is proposed as an adjunctive measure of re-nutrition progress in youth with eating disorders. We propose that MUAC is a clinically-useful measurement that can be used to inform clinicians about treatment progress. The aims of this study were twofold: 1) to test whether assessments of MUAC can track weight restoration in a similar pattern to direct measures of weight and 2) to examine adolescents' self-reported feelings in response to assessments of MUAC, weighing, and skinfolds (SF).
  
  
  
  The study involved two phases of data collection. Participants in both phases of the study were female patients who fulfilled DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. In Phase 1, MUAC measurements and weight assessments were collected weekly to examine changes in these values during the first 8weeks of treatment. In Phase 2, participants reported their feelings towards three different anthropometric measures - weight, SF and MUAC.
  
  
  
  Simple contrasts between the weekly weight and MUAC assessments prospectively collected in Phase 1 (N=40) reveal that MUAC and weight follow similar patterns over time. Phase 2 (N=30) data indicate that participants felt more relaxed, and less angry, scared or embarrassed during MUAC measurements than weighing and SF. MUAC also emerged as the measurement that was most preferred by participants.
  
  
  
  MUAC measurements are a useful adjunct to measurements of weight, and are perceived to be less distressing than routinely used measurement techniques of weight and SF.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Canada; Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents, Canada. Electronic address: PLam-02@cw.bc.ca.
authors.forename: Pei-Yoong
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Canada; School of Social Work, The University of British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Sheila K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Canada.
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Devi Harjit
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Children's Hospital, Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Children's Hospital, Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents, Canada.
authors.forename: Jadine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cairns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001835:Body Weight; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000379:methods*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Adolescents; Eating disorders; Mid-upper Arm Circumference (MUAC); Skinfolds; Weight