Measurement of upper arm circumference helps to detect malnutrition in children of developing communities. The Armband Project helps to facilitate this by providing color-coded measuring armbands to communities free of charge.

These arm bands are very useful for tracking the nutritional status of children from the age of 1 year (12 months) to 5 years (60 months). When the circumference of the mid upper arm is above 14 centimeters, the child is well-nourished and between 12.5 and 14 cm, he or she is mildly malnourished. An upper arm circumference of less than 12.5 is indicative of a very serious situation, requiring urgent intervention. These rulers include an explanation of that and also some important concise nutrition messages. They make a nice gift for moms in the nutrition center, and the villages.

Although in the past MAMA Project has used volunteers to color armbands, we no longer do so. We have designed a different armband than the one shown here and are able to get it printed in color. This armband is still available for download from our website for other organizations that would like to use it. Thank you.

Downloadable Armband Page (PDF)