Use of height-arm circumference measurement for nutritional selectivity in Sri Lanka school feeding

In order to maximize the impact of limited resources available for the government of Sri Lanka/CARE school feeding program, a nutrition survey was carried out in 1973 using the measurements of arm circumference for height of 1,122,773 school children aged 6-12 years. The results of the survey provided a score of the incidence of malnutrition in each government primary school and schools with the highest percentage of malnutrition were selected as eligible for the feeding program. The height-arm circumference technique as found to be a valid tool for diagnosing malnutrition when compared with either weight-height-age or clinical assessment. This technique requiring only measuring tapes, was found to be rapid, economical, and highly practical for field situations as a device for nutritional selectivity. The survey findings revealed that 40 per cent of the primary school population were malnourished.