Evaluating Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Cut-Offs as a Screening Tool for Undernutrition in Pregnant Women: An Alternative to Body Mass Index

Abstract Background Undernutrition during pregnancy is a major public health issue and may lead to negative pregnancy outcomes. The body mass index (BMI), considered widely used as the reference method for assessing nutritional status due to its established population-based cut-off points; however, it can be misleading in pregnancy. This study aimed to validate the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as a screening tool for identifying undernourished pregnant women (PW) in an urban slum, compared to BMI. Methods Data for this analysis were extracted from studies conducted in Bauniabadh, a slum located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The final sample size was 375 PW aged 15-39 years with a gestational age of