CARAGA NUTRITION CLUSTER ORIENTS BNS ON MUAC MEASUREMENT

The Caraga Regional Nutrition Cluster (RNC) oriented and demonstrated to the barangay nutrition scholars (BNS) of Barangay Boa in the municipality of Cagdianao, Province of Dinagat Islands on the proper mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement.

MUAC is the circumference of the left upper arm, measured at the midpoint between the tip of the shoulder and the tip of the elbow (olecranon process and the acromium) and is used for the assessment of nutritional status. It is a good predictor of mortality and in many studies, MUAC predicted death in children better than any other anthropometric indicator. MUAC is recommended for use with children between six and fifty-nine months of age and for assessing acute energy deficiency in adults during famine or disasters such as Typhoon Odette.

The MUAC measurement requires little equipment and is easy to perform even on the most debilitated individuals. It usually makes use of the MUAC tape, a simple plastic tape used in determining the thinness to weight-for-height of a child through measuring the circumference of an individual’s left upper arm between the tip of the shoulder and the tip of the elbow. But due to the wrath of Typhoon Odette, all of the anthropometric tools of the barangay were destroyed or washed out including the MUAC tapes.

However, although it is important to give workers training in how to take the measurement, the correct technique can be readily taught to minimally trained health workers and community-based volunteers. Nutrition Officer II Raphael Ochavo and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nutrition Officer Pete John Biscarra briefly oriented the BNS and demonstrated the proper use of MUAC tapes, including MUAC tapes for adults for the pregnant and lactating women. The Nutrition Cluster also provided new MUAC tapes to the BNS for their conduct of rapid nutrition assessment and continuous monitoring of the children considered as severely or moderately acute malnourished (SAM/MAM) children in their barangay. (RPOchavo, NNCCaraga/PIA-Caraga)