Estimating body composition of young children by using bioelectrical resistance

Abstract

It is currently unclear whether age-specific equations should be used for assessing body composition from bioelectrical resistance. Kushner et al. (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 56: 835-839, 1992) showed that the relationship between height2/resistance and total body water (TBW) is robust across a wide age range, although uncertainty remained over the relationship in preschool children. We therefore cross-validated the Kushner equation for predicting total body water in 4- to 6-yr-old children in two independent laboratories. TBW was measured from H2 18O dilution, and bioelectrical resistance and reactance were measured using an RJL 101A analyzer in 31 children (15 females, 16 males; 5 +/- 0.8 yr) studied in Burlington, Vermont, and 30 children (14 females, 16 males; 5 +/- 0.2 yr) studied in Phoenix, Arizona. There was no significant difference between TBW predicted from the Kushner equation and that measured in children in Burlington (11.76 +/- 2.00 vs. 11.91 +/- 2.46 kg; r = 0.94) or in Phoenix (11.53 +/- 1.64 vs. 11.66 +/- 1.90 kg; r = 0.94). The Kushner equation for TBW can be transformed into an equation for fat-free mass (FFM) by using published age- and gender-specific constants for the hydration of FFM: hydration of FFM = 76.9 - 0.25 age (yr) - 1.9 gender where female equals 0 and male equals 1. The intraclass reliability for estimates of fat mass and FFM with the use of bioelectrical resistance in an independent group of 26 children (5.0 +/- 0.8 yr, 20.2 +/- 3.0 kg) was > 0.99 for duplicate observations performed 2 wk apart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of body fatness measurements by BMI and skinfolds vs dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and their relation to cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents

“…18 Considered by many to be the 'gold standard' for estimating body fatness, DXA measurements have been limited to the research setting because of their complexity and cost. [19][20][21][22][23] Previous studies have reported significant associations between BMI and DXA 9,24,25 and a recent report in Pima Indian children showed significant relations for both BMI and DXA with blood pressure, lipids and fasting insulin.…”

Long-term Cardiovascular Toxicity in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Who Receive Cancer Therapy: Pathophysiology, Course, Monitoring, Management, Prevention, and Research Directions

“…309 Considered by many to be the "reference standard" for estimating body fatness, DEXA has been limited to research studies because of its complexity and cost. [310][311][312][313][314] The methods used to assess adiposity may affect the prevalence of obesity. In a report of risk factors in adult survivors of pediatric cancers, obesity, as defined by BMI, was not more common in cancer survivors than it was in healthy siblings 31 ; however, other measures of central adiposity, such as waist circumference and visceral fat content, increase in some cancers.…”

Percent body fat measured by BIA and DEXA in obese, African-American adolescent girls

“…BIA is portable and inexpensive, does not require extensive training, and has been shown to be moderately accurate in comparison to gold standard methods. [2][3][4][5] In addition, BIA is especially attractive for use with children because it does not require exposure to radioactivity or submersion in water. Thus, BIA has emerged as a practical measure of body composition, especially for field studies involving children.…”