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Vol. 6 Núm. 2 (2026): Volume 6, Issue 2, Year 2026

Articles

Mid-upper arm circumference and Neck Circumference as optimal proxies for Body Mass Index in the Assessment of Malnutrition and Metabolic Risks among the Older Adults in the Rural region of Delhi-NCR, India

  • Nirmal Nath Upadhyay,
  • Shromona Das,
  • Shivani Chandel
Nirmal Nath Upadhyay
Laboratory of Kinanthropometry, Ergonomics and Physiological Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
Shromona Das
Laboratory of Kinanthropometry, Ergonomics and Physiological Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
Shivani Chandel
Laboratory of Kinanthropometry, Ergonomics and Physiological Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2624

Publicado 17-08-2026

Palabras clave

  • Somatometría,
  • Perímetro de la pantorrilla,
  • Basado en la comunidad,
  • Sarcopenia,
  • Obesidad general

Cómo citar

Upadhyay, N. N., Das, S., & Chandel, S. (2026). Mid-upper arm circumference and Neck Circumference as optimal proxies for Body Mass Index in the Assessment of Malnutrition and Metabolic Risks among the Older Adults in the Rural region of Delhi-NCR, India. La Revista Internacional De Cineantropometría, 6(2), 28–37. https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2624

Derechos de autor 2026 Nirmal Nath Upadhyay, Shromona Das, Shivani Chandel

Creative Commons License

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.

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Resumen

Introducción: El Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) se utiliza tradicionalmente como herramienta de cribado para evaluar la desnutrición y los riesgos metabólicos en adultos mayores. Sin embargo, puede clasificar erróneamente a personas con una baja relación músculo-grasa al enmascarar la pérdida progresiva de masa muscular y la adiposidad visceral simultánea. Asimismo, la compresión de la columna vertebral en los adultos mayores plantea dudas sobre la validez de los cálculos del IMC, que dependen de la estatura. Por ello, este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la utilidad del perímetro del brazo (MUAC) y del perímetro del cuello (NC) como indicadores somatométricos prácticos sustitutos del IMC en adultos mayores residentes en la comunidad de la zona rural de Delhi-NCR, India. Métodos: Se incluyó en el estudio a un total de 404 participantes de 60 años o más. Las variables antropométricas se evaluaron mediante instrumentos estandarizados siguiendo los protocolos de la Sociedad Internacional para el Avance de la Cineantropometría (ISAK): estatura con un antropómetro de varilla; peso con un monitor de composición corporal Omron Karada Scan HBF-375; y MUAC, NC y perímetro de la pantorrilla (CC) con una cinta antropométrica Cescorf. Se definió significación estadística para ρ > 0,60 y p < 0,05. Un valor bajo de CC se consideró indicador de una baja relación músculo-grasa (medida de desnutrición), y el NC como biomarcador de riesgo metabólico. Resultados: El NC mostró una correlación significativa con el IMC tanto en hombres como en mujeres (p < 0,001). Del mismo modo, entre los individuos con CC baja (n = 250), se observó una correlación significativamente fuerte entre la CC y el MUAC (p < 0,001) al estratificar por sexo. Además, el 40,40 % de los individuos con CC baja fueron clasificados erróneamente como normopeso, a pesar de presentar una baja relación músculo-grasa. Conclusión: El IMC enmascara la pérdida progresiva de masa muscular y puede clasificar erróneamente a los adultos mayores durante el cribado de riesgos metabólicos. Por consiguiente, podría ser una herramienta inadecuada para evaluar la desnutrición y los riesgos metabólicos en la población geriátrica. Así, el uso de mediciones con cinta, como el MUAC y el NC, para el cribado de desnutrición y riesgos metabólicos en adultos mayores podría ofrecer mejores resultados.

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