Relationship Between Nutritional Status and Hemoglobin, Blood Glucose, Waist Circumference, and Upper Arm Circumference in High School Adolescents in Purwakarta

Abstract

Adolescents are an age group vulnerable to nutritional problems that may affect overall health. According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents aged 16–18 years was 11.7% among males and 12.6% among females, while the prevalence of anemia among individuals aged 15–24 years was 15.5%. These conditions remain a public health concern requiring regular monitoring. This study aimed to analyze the association between nutritional status based on Body Mass Index-for-Age (BMI-for-age) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, random blood glucose (RBG), waist circumference (WC), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) among high school students in Purwakarta. This study employed an analytical observational design with a cross-sectional approach involving 52 students of MAN 1 Purwakarta selected using total sampling. Data were collected through a single measurement and analyzed using Spearman’s correlation test at a 95% confidence level. Most respondents were female (96.2%) and had normal nutritional status (75.0%), while 19.2% were classified as overweight. The mean Hb level was 12.04 ± 2.03 g/dL, with 48.1% of respondents classified as anemic. The mean RBG, WC, and MUAC were 115.88 ± 13.40 mg/dL, 71.80 ± 7.77 cm, and 24.69 ± 3.11 cm, respectively. Nutritional status was significantly associated with WC (r = 0.598; p < 0.001) and MUAC (r = 0.679; p < 0.001), whereas Hb (r = −0.067; p = 0.638) and RBG (r = 0.139; p = 0.326) were not significantly associated with nutritional status. These findings indicate that routine monitoring of nutritional status and anthropometric indicators is important among adolescents as an early detection measure for the risk of central obesity.