According to clinical standards, an adult BMI less than 18.5 kg per square meter indicates underweight status. For protein-energy malnutrition screening, what is the MUAC cutoff in the given options?

1. A

   BMI less than 18.5 and MUAC less than 11.5 cm

2. B

   BMI less than 25 and MUAC less than 15 cm

3. C

   BMI less than 30 and MUAC less than 13.5 cm

4. D

   BMI less than 16 and MUAC less than 8 cm

Appeared in: PGIMER Nursing Officer - 2025

Explanation

• BMI less than 18.5 kg per square meter is the clinical cutoff for underweight in adults.
• MUAC less than 11.5 cm is the accepted cutoff for severe malnutrition in adults.
• This combination is used for rapid screening of protein-energy malnutrition in adults.
• MUAC is especially useful in field and low-resource settings.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: BMI less than 25 and MUAC less than 15 cm are not clinical cutoffs for undernutrition. BMI less than 25 is considered normal, and MUAC less than 15 cm is not a recognized threshold for adult malnutrition.
• Option C: BMI less than 30 and MUAC less than 13.5 cm are not used for malnutrition screening. BMI less than 30 includes overweight and normal ranges, and MUAC less than 13.5 cm is not a standard cutoff.
• Option D: BMI less than 16 and MUAC less than 8 cm are extremely low and not standard cutoffs. BMI less than 16 indicates severe thinness, but MUAC less than 8 cm is not a recognized clinical threshold.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Anthropometric cutoffs for adult protein-energy malnutrition screening helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Nurses use BMI and MUAC to quickly identify adults at risk for protein-energy malnutrition, especially in resource-limited settings.
• Early detection allows for timely nutritional intervention and reduces morbidity and mortality.
• What if? If the MUAC cutoff was set higher (e.g., 13.5 cm), many at-risk adults would be missed, leading to underdiagnosis of malnutrition.

How to Approach the Question

• Identify the standard BMI cutoff for underweight in adults (less than 18.5 kg per square meter).
• Recall the accepted MUAC cutoff for severe malnutrition in adults (less than 11.5 cm).
• Eliminate options with BMI or MUAC values that do not match clinical standards.
• Choose the option that matches both standard cutoffs for adult malnutrition screening.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Anthropometric cutoffs for adult protein-energy malnutrition screening
• Stem keywords: adult BMI, underweight, protein-energy malnutrition, MUAC cutoff
• Lead-in keywords: cutoff, screening
• Clinical cues: BMI less than 18.5 indicates underweight status

Question ID

QMqCHLdSXY3fkPyIQlColg

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 521-523