Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis in children aged 8–12 y: 2. The assessment of regional body composition and muscle mass

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the potential of segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for assessing regional composition and muscle mass in children.

Design: Strengths of relationships were determined between (a) BIA indices of trunk, limbs or limb segments and (b) segment fat or fat-free mass (FFM) assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); the extent of agreement was established between two independent models, based on DXA and BIA, of limb muscle and adipose tissue (AT) mass.

Subjects: Eighteen boys and 19 girls aged 8–12 y.

Measurements: BIA and anthropometry of trunk, whole limbs, limb segments and defined sections were used to calculate segmental impedance indices and specific resistivities; segment fat and FFM were obtained using DXA; muscle and AT masses of limbs, segments and sections were estimated using DXA and BIA models, and by anthropometry.

Results: Segmental BIA indices were significantly related to composition of the segments assessed using DXA; although substantial bias was observed, there was fairly good agreement (low 95% limits of agreement) between the BIA and DXA models of muscle mass and estimates from each were similarly categorised in tertiles, as were estimates of AT.

Conclusion: Segmental BIA appears to have potential for assessing in children the composition of body segments, as obtained using DXA, and the masses of muscle and AT in whole limbs, limb segments and defined sections.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hughes JM, Li L, Chinn S, Rona RJ . Trends in growth in England and Scotland, 1972–1994 Arch Dis Child 1997 76 182–189.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Björntorp P . Body fat distribution, insulin resistance, and metabolic diseases Nutrition 1997 13: 795–803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lukaski HC . Estimation of muscle mass In: Roche AF Heymsfield SB Lohman TG (eds). Human body composition Human Kinetics: Champaign, II 1996 109–128.

  4. Ebbeling CB, Rodriguez NR . Effects of reduced energy intake on protein utilization in obese children Metabolism 1998 47: 1434–1439.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bracco D, Thiébaud D, Chioléro RL, Landry M, Burckhardt P, Schutz Y . Segmental body composition assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and DEXA in humans J Appl Physiol 1996 81 2580–2587.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fuller NJ, Fewtrell MS, Dewit O, Elia M, Wells JCK . Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis in children aged 8–12 y: 1. The assessment of whole-body composition Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2002 26 684–691.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Roubenoff R, Keyhayias JJ, Dawson-Hughes B, Heymsfield SB . Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in body composition studies: not yet a ‘gold standard’ Am J Clin Nutr 1993 58 589–591.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tothill P . Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for the measurement of bone and soft tissue composition Clin Nutr 1995 14: 263–268.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fuller NJ, Hardingham CR, Graves M, Screaton N, Dixon AK, Ward LC, Elia M . Assessment of limb muscle and adipose tissue by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry using magnetic resonance imaging for comparison Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23 1295–1302.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fuller NJ, Hardingham CR, Graves M, Screaton N, Dixon AK, Ward LC, Elia M . Predicting composition of leg sections with anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis, using magnetic resonance imaging as reference Clin Sci 1999 96 647–657.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Fuller NJ, Laskey MA, Elia M . Assessment of the composition of major body regions by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), with special reference to limb muscle mass Clin Physiol 1992 12: 253–266.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Brown BH, Karatzas T, Nakielny R, Clark RG . Determination of upper arm muscle and fat areas using electrical impedance measurements Clin Phys Physiol Meas 1988 9: 47–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fuller NJ, Elia M . Potential use of bioelectrical impedance of the ‘whole body’ and of body segments for the assessment of body composition: comparison with densitometry and anthropometry Eur J Clin Nutr 1989 43: 779–791.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Snyder WS, Cook MJ, Nasset ES, Karhausen LR, Parry-Howells G, Tipton IH . Report of the T ask Group on Reference Man Pergamon Press: Oxford 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Aaron R, Huang M, Shiffman CA . Anisotropy of human muscle via non-invasive impedance measurements Phys Med Biol 1997 42 1245–1262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bland JM, Altman DG . Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement Lancet 1986 i: 307–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Altman DG . Practical statistics for medical research Chapman and Hall: London 1991.

  18. Scharfetter H, Schlager T, Stollberger R, Felsberger R, Hutten H, Hinghofer-Szalkay H . Assessing abdominal fatness with local bioimpedance analysis: basics and experimental findings Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001 25 502–511.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Jebb SA, Goldberg GR, Jennings G, Elia M . Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of body composition: effects of depth and tissue thickness, including comparisons with direct analysis Clin Sci 1995 88 319–324.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Fuller NJ, Wells JCK, Elia M . Evaluation of a model for total body protein mass based on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry: comparison with a reference four-component model Br J Nutr 2001 86: 45–52.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Cornish BH, Jacobs A, Thomas BJ, Ward LC . Optimizing electrode sites for segmental bioimpedance measurements Physiol Meas 1999 20 241–250.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Durnin JVGA, Womersley J . Body fat assessed from total body density and its estimation from skinfold thickness: measurements on 481 men and women aged from 16 to 72 y Br J Nutr 1974 32: 77–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Reilly JJ, Wilson J, Durnin JVGA . Determination of body composition from skinfold thickness: a validation study Arch Dis Child 1995 73 305–310.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wells JCK, Fuller NJ, Dewit O, Fewtrell MS, Elia M, Cole TJ . Four-component model of body composition in children: density and hydration of fat-free mass and comparison with simpler models Am J Clin Nutr 1999 69: 904–991.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lohman TG . Skinfolds and body density and their relation to body fatness: a review Hum Biol 1981 53 181–225.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Heymsfield SB, Smith R, Aulet M, Bensen B, Lichtman S, Wang J, Pierson RN Jr . Appendicular skeletal muscle mass: measurement by dual-photon absorptiometry Am J Clin Nutr 1990 37 478–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Fuller NJ, Jebb SA, Goldberg GR, Pullicino E, Adams C, Cole TJ, Elia M . Inter-observer variability in the measurement of body composition Eur J Clin Nutr 1991 45 43–49.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Ms Anne Nugent for considerable assistance during this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to NJ Fuller.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fuller, N., Fewtrell, M., Dewit, O. et al. Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis in children aged 8–12 y: 2. The assessment of regional body composition and muscle mass. Int J Obes 26, 692–700 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801989

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801989

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links