Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Manual Measurements of Neck Circumference Are Interchangeable, and Declining Neck Circumference Is Related to Presarcopenia

Abstract

Purpose. Preventive medicine is important in an aging society. Presarcopenia is the preliminary stage of sarcopenia. Recent advances in bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) devices have enabled automatic estimation of neck circumference (NC). However, the agreement between and interchangeability of NC measured manually and that calculated with BIA have not been evaluated. We performed these analyses in the context of health checkups and investigated their associations with presarcopenia. Methods. We enrolled 318 participants who underwent anthropometric measurements, including NC measured manually and by BIA; assessment of physical function; and blood testing. We used Bland-Altman analysis to calculate the agreement between and interchangeability of NC measurements by BIA and by the manual method. We then statistically compared normal participants and those with presarcopenia. Using multivariable analysis, we subsequently investigated significant risk factors for presarcopenia. We defined presarcopenia according to the appendicular skeletal muscle index (aSMI; the ratio of arm and leg skeletal muscle mass to height2). Results. Bland-Altman analysis showed that bias (BIA-manual) was negative overall (−1.07), for male participants (−1.23), and for female participants (−0.96). This finding suggests that BIA measurement is an underestimate in comparison with manual measurement. NC measurement by BIA was found to be interchangeable with that by manual methods, inasmuch as the percentage error was less than 5% overall (4.38%), for male participants (3.81%), and for female participants (4.58%). Univariable analysis revealed that NC was significantly smaller in the participants with presarcopenia than in those without. Multivariable analysis, adjusted for confounding factors, revealed that a decrease in NC was significantly correlated with presarcopenia. Conclusions. BIA measurements of NC are interchangeable within about 95% with manual measurements. The decrease in NC measured by BIA was significantly associated with presarcopenia in both genders. NC measurement can be used for early detection of presarcopenia.

Associations Between Neck and Shoulder Pain and Neuropathic Pain in a Middle-aged Community-living Population

“…These participants lived in a relatively rural setting and practiced agriculture or fishing-related occupations. Thus, the current study group might not be an ideal representative of the general population 25,30 . Thus, future studies must include longitudinal approaches involving urban areas.…”

“…Next, the participants were instructed to rise from a sitting position from a standard chair with a height of 46 cm, walk for 3 m, turn around, walk back to the same chair, and sit down. The process was performed in duplicates, and the average time was documented as the result for 3-m timed up-and-go test 23,25 …”

“…31 NC was calculated using the InBody 770 BIA device as per the previously established protocol. 25 For NC measurements, the participant was instructed to stand with his or her head positioned in the Frankfort horizontal plane with relaxed shoulders, and a non-stretchable plastic tape was used to measure NC from a level below the laryngeal prominence, perpendicular to the long axis of the neck. All the results were presented in centimeters, by rounding off for all measurements.…”

Impact of Neck and Shoulder Pain on Health-Related Quality of Life in a Middle-Aged Community-Living Population

“…We investigated the relationship NC and presarcopenia in a previous study [ 23 ]. A decreased NC, based on BIA assessments, was directly related to having presarcopenia.…”

“…Participants that had not fasted prior to their check-ups were also ineligible for inclusion. Of the 537 potential study participants, 318 (125 males and 193 females) were eligible for inclusion in this study [ 23 ]. The study protocol was approved by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine's human research ethics' committee and institutional review board (IRB approval no: 2014-0207).…”