Authors: Siobhan Leahy Cian O’Neill Rhoda Sohun Philip Jakeman
Publish Date: 2011/05/26
Volume: 112, Issue: 2, Pages: 589-595
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of BIA in the measurement of total body composition and regional fat and the fat free mass in the healthy young adults Four hundred and three healthy young adults 167 women and 236 men aged 18–29 years were recruited from the MidWest region of Ireland Multi frequency eightpolar bioelectrical impedance analysis BIA and dual energy Xray absorptiometry DXA were used to measure the total body and segmental arm leg and trunk fat mass and the fat free mass BIA was found to underestimate the percentage total body fat in men and women p 0001 This underestimate increased in men with 246 body fat and women with 32 body fat p 0001 Fat tissue mass in the trunk segment was overestimated by 21 kg p 0001 in men and underestimated by 04 kg p 0001 in women BIA was also found to underestimate the fat free mass in the appendages by 10 kg p 0001 in men and 09 kg p 0001 in women Compared to dual energy Xray absorptiometry bioelectrical impedance analysis underestimates the total body fat mass and overestimates fat free mass in healthy young adults BIA should therefore be used with caution in the measurement of total body composition in women and men with 25 total body fat Though statistically significant the small difference ~ 4 between the methods indicates that the BIA may be used interchangeably with DXA in the measurement of appendicular fat free mass in healthy young adults
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