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Table 3 Proportion of acutely malnourished children 6–59 months of age diagnosed by each diagnostic indicator for three indicator pairs (MUACZ and WHZ, MUAC and MUACZ, MUAC and WHZ), by regiona

From: Concordance between estimates of acute malnutrition measured by weight-for-height and by mid-upper arm circumference after age adjustment: population-representative surveys from humanitarian settings

Region

N surveys

MUAC < 125 and WHZ < -2

MUACZ <-2 and WHZ < -2

MUAC < 125 and MUACZ <-2

N children

Median Percentage MUAC only (IQR)

Median Percentage WHZ only (IQR)

Median Percentage of both (IQR)

N children

Median Percentage MUACZ only (IQR)

Median Percentage WHZ only (IQR)

Median Percentage of both (IQR)

N children

Median Percentage MUAC only (IQR)

Median Percentage MUACZ only (IQR)

Median Percentage of both (IQR)

Latin America & Caribbean

25

917

30.00 (18.18–34.33)

47.27 (34.33–59.09)

26.39 (20.69–30.91)

1,320

47.06 (37.50–60.00)

27.27 (16.95–38.10)

22.86 (20.00–27.12)

1,130

6.25 (5.13 - 11.28)

54.35 (47.62 - 62.07)

40.22 (33.33–45.45)

West & Central Africa

213

21,821

23.91 (12.00–37.75)

44.66 (32.20–62.39)

28.79 (20.63 - 35.29)

28,915

41.05 (30.57–55.28)

21.96 (12.92–35.48)

30.89 (25.85–39.36)

24,742

6.57 (4.92 - 9.09)

50.60 (45.04 - 57.58)

42.42 (35.82–46.77)

DRC

105

13,240

42.14 (33.02–54.29)

27.69 (21.00–37.57)

26.83 (20.00–34.16)

17,996

58.57 (48.85–65.98)

12.15 (8.43–19.08)

26.76 (20.13–35.24)

16,978

7.02 (5.22 - 9.09)

45.79 (41.29–50.86)

47.06 (40.88–52.11)

Eastern & Southern Africa

218

19,954

18.30 (9.17 - 32.47)

60.82 (44.83–74.36)

18.62 (11.94–26.47)

25,712

36.23 (20.19–53.57)

36.96 (19.05–48.72)

27.59 (20.69–33.65)

19,208

7.56 (4.46 - 11.11)

56.79 (46.15 - 66.67)

35.29 (26.13–43.71)

Sudan

136

26,423

15.30 (10.47–20.76)

54.93 (45.71–63.32)

28.26 (22.95–34.95)

31,672

28.44 (20.49–37.63)

31.19 (22.53–38.33)

38.84 (33.82–44.15)

24,440

7.89 (5.58 - 10.56)

50.00 (44.44–56.54)

42.18 (36.30–47.48)

East Asia & Pacific

24

3,124

20.32 (11.73–31.64)

46.64 (31.20–67.74)

31.97 (20.53–36.83)

4,407

40.11 (27.85–54.67)

18.14 (9.95–32.24)

33.98 (22.99–42.72)

3,872

6.43 (4.20 - 9.92)

54.08 (50.51 - 59.63)

38.96 (31.84–44.50)

South Asia

142

16,152

27.81 (15.18–45.99)

43.83 (27.15–60.18)

24.39 (18.07 - 31.68)

21,631

48.28 (31.02–61.8)

22.35 (14.98–31.53)

29.14 (21.03–38.60)

18,797

7.15 (5.49 - 10.34)

51.35 (43.01–59.33)

40.74 (33.33–49.08)

TOTALb

866

101,766

21.64 (11.85–38.46)

48.19 (31.46–64.86)

25.53 (17.88–32.94)

131,794

41.38 (26.32–56.68)

24.09 (13.68–39.05)

30.63 (23.91–38.60)

109,267

7.04 (5.00 - 10.20)

51.01 (44.44–58.82)

40.78 (33.33–47.52)

  1. MUAC Mid-upper arm circumference, MUACZ Mid-upper arm circumference-for-age Z-score, WHZ Weight-for-height Z-Score, IQR interquartile range, DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
  2. aMedian of the survey-level prevalence not pooled estimates; categories therefore do not add to 100%
  3. bTotal category includes 3 surveys from the Middle East that aren’t presented by regional breakdown due to small number of surveys