Sensitivity and specificity of mid-upper arm circumference for assessment of severe acute malnutrition among children ages 6 to 59 months: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives. Sensitivity is the proportion of people classified as diseased (i.e., no false negatives). A test with low sensitivity can be thought of as being too cautious in finding a positive result. Methods. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The databases used were PubMed, Google Scholar, Jane, and African Journals Online. The search terms used were "sensitivity" and "specificity of and mid-upper arm circumference" (MUAC). A Joanna Briggs Institute meta-analysis and checklist for diagnostic test accuracy studies was used for the critical appraisal of the studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using STATA, version 14, software. The pooled sensitivity was computed to present the pooled sensitivity at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. A total of 11 individual studies were included in the meta-analysis. The lowest sensitivity of MUAC with the detection of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) was 5%...