Original Article

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 1065–1074; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602830; published online 11 July 2007

Use of bioelectrical impedance analysis to assess body composition in rural Gambian children

Contributors: SH, AJCF, AMP and SEM designed the study, MP and SH conducted the fieldwork and the data analysis, and wrote a preliminary version of the manuscript, AW performed all laboratory analyses and AJCF supervised all statistical analyses. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

M Prins1, S Hawkesworth2,3, A Wright4, A J C Fulford2,3, L M A Jarjou3, A M Prentice2,3 and S E Moore2,3

  1. 1Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
  2. 2MRC International Nutrition Group, Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
  3. 3MRC Keneba, MRC Laboratories, The Gambia, West Africa
  4. 4MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, UK

Correspondence: Dr SE Moore, MRC International Nutrition Group, Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK. E-mail: sophie.moore@lshtm.ac.uk

Received 17 November 2006; Revised 21 May 2007; Accepted 23 May 2007; Published online 11 July 2007.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

To validate the Tanita BC-418MA Segmental Body Composition Analyser and four-site skinfold measurements for the prediction of total body water (TBW), percentage fat-free mass (%FFM) and percentage body fat (%BF) in a population of rural Gambian children.

Subjects/Methods:

 

One hundred and thirty-three healthy Gambian children (65 males and 68 females). FFM estimated by the inbuilt equations supplied with the Tanita system was assessed by comparison with deuterium oxide dilution and novel prediction equations were produced. Deuterium oxide dilution was also used to develop equations for %BF based on four-site skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac).

Results:

 

The inbuilt equations underestimated FFM compared to deuterium oxide dilution in all the sex and age categories (P<0.003), with greater accuracy in younger children and in males. The best prediction of %FFM was obtained from the variables height, weight, sex, impedance, age and four skinfold thickness measurements (adjusted R 2=0.84, root mean square error (MSE)=2.07%).

Conclusions:

 

These data suggest that the Tanita instrument may be a reliable field assessment technique in African children, when using population and gender-specific equations to convert impedance measurements into estimates of FFM.

Keywords:

body composition, bioelectrical impedance, skinfolds, deuterium oxide dilution, children, Gambia

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