Objective: To describe the nutritional status of hospitalized pediatric patients using anthropometric indicators and evaluate the correlation between mid upper arm circumference (MUAC z-score) and other anthropometric measures.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 500 inpatients at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital from August 2021 to August 2022. Patients were categorized into four main clinical groups: severe illness, cachexia, fluid change, and acute conditions.
Results: The highest prevalence of malnutrition was observed in the cachexia group, with rates of underweight, stunting, wasting, and low MUAC being 50%, 50%, 25%, and 70.5%, respectively. Across all clinical groups, malnutrition was more frequently detected using MUAC z-score than weight-for-height. Malnourished children had a significantly longer hospital stay compared to well-nourished children (p < 0.05). The specificity of the MUAC z-score increased with the severity of malnutrition, from 68.6% in well-nourished children to 89.2% in those with severe malnutrition.
Conclusion: Children in the cachexia group had a higher prevalence of malnutrition than those with acute illness, fluid shifts, or severe conditions. It is recommended that multiple anthropometric indicators be used to assess nutritional status, particularly the MUAC z-score, which may improve detection accuracy in hospitalized children.