Abstract
Background: Body composition prediction equations using skinfolds are useful alternatives to advanced techniques, but their utility across diverse paediatric populations is unknown. Aim: To evaluate published and new prediction equations across diverse samples of children with health conditions affecting growth and body composition. Subjects and methods: Anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body composition measures were obtained in children with Down syndrome (n = 59), Crohn disease (n = 128), steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (n = 67) and a healthy reference group (n = 835). Published body composition equations were evaluated. New equations were developed for ages 3–21 years using the healthy reference sample and validated in other groups and national survey data. Results: Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM) and percentage body fat (%BF) from published equations were highly correlated with DXA-derived measures (r = 0.71–0.98), but with poor agreement (mean difference = 2.4 kg, −1.9 kg and 6.3% for FM, FFM and %BF). New equations produced similar correlations (r = 0.85–1.0) with improved agreement for the reference group (0.2 kg, 0.4 kg and 0.0% for FM, FFM and %BF, respectively) and in sub-groups. Conclusions: New body composition prediction equations show excellent agreement with DXA and improve body composition estimation in healthy children and those with selected conditions affecting growth.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 108-120 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Annals of Human Biology |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 17 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Crohn’s disease
- Down syndrome
- Fat mass
- fat-free mass
- percentage body fat
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Physiology
- Aging
- Genetics
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health