Extent to which field measures (MUAC, WLZ and WAZ) predict undernutrition (low CWG and/or low skinfolds)
| Risk factor | Sensitivity | Positive predictive value | % (n) with actual undernutrition | Risk factor | Area under curve (95% CI) | ||
| Below risk factor threshold | Above risk factor threshold | Likelihood ratio | |||||
| 2 weeks to <3 m | |||||||
| MUAC <11 cm | 90% | 74% | 74.3 (26) | 13.0 (3) | 5.72 | MUAC | 0.841 (0.74 to 0.95) |
| WLZ <−2 SD | 36% | 82% | 81.8 (9) | 38.1 (16) | 2.15 | WLZ | 0.844 (0.73 to 0.96) |
| WAZ <−2 SD | 66% | 95% | 95.0 (19) | 26.3 (10) | 3.61 | WAZ | 0.914 (0.84 to 0.99) |
| 3–6 m | |||||||
| MUAC <11 cm | 44% | 70% | 70.0 (7) | 15.8 (9) | 4.43 | MUAC | 0.877 (0.77 to 0.98) |
| WLZ <-2SD | 69% | 58% | 57.9 (11) | 10.4 (5) | 5.57 | WLZ | 0.900 (0.82 to 0.98) |
| WAZ <-2SD | 75% | 75% | 75.0 (12) | 7.8 (4) | 9.62 | WAZ | 0.925 (0.84 to 1.00) |
| Total | |||||||
| MUAC <11 cm | 73% | 73% | 73.3 (33) | 15.0 (12) | 4.89 | MUAC | 0.862 (0.79 to 0.93) |
| WLZ <−2 SD | 49% | 67% | 66.7 (20) | 23.3. (21) | 2.86 | WLZ | 0.841 (0.77 to 0.92) |
| WAZ <−2 SD | 69% | 86% | 86.1 (31) | 15.7 (14) | 5.48 | WAZ | 0.896 (0.84 to 0.96) |
| MUAC <11 cm or WAZ <−2 SD | 90% | 82% | 74% (39) | 8.3% (6) | 8.67 | ||
CWG, conditional weight gain; MUAC, mid-upper arm circumference; WAZ, weight-for-age Z-scores; WLZ, weight-for-length Z-scores.