Evaluation of various methods in the detection of protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) of early childhood

3 different anthropometric methods and clinical assessment were carried out on 82 children aged 1–5 years, to diagnose protein calorie malnutrition. The anthropometric methods used include measurements of weight-for-age, weight-for-height, mid-arm circumference and the use of a Quac stick. The results obtained showed close agreement between two methods, namely weight-for-height and mid-arm circumference measurements. The mid-arm circumference measurement proved to be the easiest, simplest and fastest method to employ in detecting protein calorie malnutrition among a population of children below the age of 5 years. A combination of mid-arm circumference and weight-for-height measurements is recommended for better and more accurate results.