Sep 14, 2025
1:00 PM2:00 PM
Poster Session
P521 - COMPARABILITY OF CALF CIRCUMFERENCE MEASURES IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS USING REPEATED MEASUREMENTS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS
P521
COMPARABILITY OF CALF CIRCUMFERENCE MEASURES IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS USING REPEATED MEASUREMENTS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS
A. C. Benet1,*, S. P. Orlandi 1, T. G. Barbosa-Silva 2, L. S. Rocha1, L. P. dos Santos1, R. M. Bielemann1, C. M. Prado3, M. C. Gonzalez1
1Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Food, 2Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil, 3Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Rationale: Calf circumference (CC) is an anthropometric measure recognized as a muscle mass marker. However, discrepancies exist regarding the individual`s position (orthostatic, sitting, or supine) during measurements. This study aimed to evaluate agreement among CC measurements in different positions and suggest adjustments if we observed variations.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with hospitalized patients (≥ 18 years). CC was measured at the largest circumference of the right calf in orthostatic (standing) (CCort), sitting (CCsit), and supine (CCsup) positions. The repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (RM-ANOVA) and the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference post hoc tests were applied. Bland–Altman plots and linear regression adjusted for sex, body mass index, and age were also used, with CCort or CCsit as the dependent variable and the other positions as independent variables.
Results: A total of 193 patients were evaluated (mean age: 57.7 ± 15.0 years, 52.8% females). CCsit (34.4 ± 4.8 cm) had the highest mean values, with statistically significant differences from CCort (+0.39 cm; p < 0.05) and CCsup (+0.33 cm; p < 0.05). CCsit was higher than CCort in both sexes, while CCsup was higher only in females. As the cutoff values for populations were usually obtained from CCort or CCsit, linear regressions generated equivalent CC cutoff values when the measurements were obtained from other positions.
Conclusion: The CC measurements taken at orthostatic (standing), sitting, and supine positions are not interchangeable, and significantly higher values were obtained in the sitting position. These results suggest that equivalent cutoff values should be used when CC is measured in different positions from those in which the original cutoff was established.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared