SALUD publica: revista del Ministerio de Salud de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
Evaluación del estado nutricional al momento del diagnóstico oncológico en pediatría: Estudio comparativo entre el MUAC z-score e IMC/edad en un hospital público de Argentina
By Camila Gómez Colman.
Abstract
Background
Nutritional status at cancer diagnosis is a key determinant of clinical outcomes in pediatric oncology. Body mass index-for-age (BMI-for-age) may underestimate malnutrition due to disease-related alterations in body composition. Mid-upper arm circumference expressed as MUAC Z-score may provide a more sensitive assessment.
Methods
A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted including 42 children and adolescents (1–18 years) diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized in the pediatric hemato-oncology unit of a public hospital in Argentina between January and December 2025. Nutritional status at diagnosis was assessed using MUAC Z-score and BMI-for-age according to World Health Organization references. Agreement between both indicators was evaluated using the weighted Kappa coefficient.