The prevalence of undernutrition in hospitals in Africa is estimated at about 57 %. Simple anthropometric methods are available to detect it, including measurement of the brachial circumference (BC) and the body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study was to identify a threshold value that might make it possible to diagnose undernutrition in hospitals. It was a cross sectional study carried out at Douala General Hospital - Cameroon over a five months period. The measurements studied were: BMI, BC and percentage of weight loss. The Pearson test was used to compare the quantitative variables. The Receiving Operating Characteristic curve enabled us to determine a threshold value of the BC according to BMI. The study included 333 patients, with a mean age of 45 ± 16 years (range : 18-86). BMI and BC were strongly correlated; BC =11.69 + 0.68(BMI), with r2 = 0.65 (P < 0.01)). The threshold value of BC retained to detect undernutrition was 27 cm. The prevalence of undernutrition at the Douala General Hospital varies according to the anthropometric parameter used. At a BC threshold of 27 cm, the prevalence of undenutrition in our population was 24,3%.
Keywords: Africa; Cameroon; body mass index; brachial circumference; undernutrition.