Anthropometric indices in rural Malawians aged 45–75 years

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess anthropometric parameters of rural people aged 45–75 years in the Southern Region of Malawi.

Subjects and methods: 97 males and 101 females aged 45–75 years were selected from 10 villages in Balaka district using a stratified cluster sampling method. Most responders were small-scale farmers growing maize and vegetables for household consumption. The anthropometric measurements taken were height, weight, triceps skinfold (TSK) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). The derivatives from anthropometric measurements included body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm muscle area (MUAMA) and mid-upper arm fat area (MUAFA). Weight status of Malawian subjects was estimated using WHO (1995) categories for BMI values, and height, weight, TSK, MUAC, MUAMA and MUAFA were compared with NHANES reference data for black sample.

Results: Correlation between age of subjects and the anthropometric indices was weak and insignificant. Males were generally taller and lighter than females. All anthropometric indices of Malawian subjects were considerably lower than NHANES medians. However the mean values of height, weight, MUAC and MUAMA of females were closer to the reference values than those of males. It was found that 9.1% of Malawian subjects had mild thinness (BMI 17.0–18.4 kg m⁻²), 13.6% had moderate thinness (BMI 16.0–16.9 kg m⁻²) and 18.2% exhibited severe thinness (BMI<16.0 kg m⁻²). The proportion of thin persons was higher (χ² = 9.58, n = 1, p<0.01) among males than females (50.0% versus 35.7%).

Conclusions: This study indicates that undernutrition is a serious problem among rural Malawians aged 45–75 years.