Lyons-Reid, J., Ward, L. C., Tint, M.-T., Kenealy, T., Godfrey, K. M., Chan, S.-Y., & Cutfield, W. S. (2021). The influence of body position on bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy measurements in young children. Scientific Reports, 11(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89568-8
Abstract:
Abstract
Bioelectrical impedance techniques are easy to use and portable tools for assessing body composition. While measurements vary according to standing vs supine position in adults, and fasting and bladder voiding have been proposed as additional important influences, these have not been assessed in young children. Therefore, the influence of position, fasting, and voiding on bioimpedance measurements was examined in children. Bioimpedance measurements (ImpediMed SFB7) were made in 50 children (3.38 years). Measurements were made when supine and twice when standing (immediately on standing and after four minutes). Impedance and body composition were compared between positions, and the effect of fasting and voiding was assessed. Impedance varied between positions, but body composition parameters other than fat mass (total body water, intra- and extra-cellular water, fat-free mass) differed by less than 5%. There were no differences according to time of last meal or void. Equations were developed to allow standing measurements of fat mass to be combined with supine measurements. In early childhood, it can be difficult to meet requirements for fasting, voiding, and lying supine prior to measurement. This study provides evidence to enable standing and supine bioimpedance measurements to be combined in cohorts of young children.
License type:
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Funding Info:
J.L-R. is currently receiving University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship. The authors would like to acknowledge Auckland NiPPeR research staff Christine Creagh, Marysia Depczynski, and Sarah Wilkins for their contribution to this study. Public good funding for the investigator-led NiPPeR study is through the UK Medical Research Council (as part of an MRC award to the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MC_UU_12011/4)); the Singapore National Research Foundation, National Medical Research Council (NMRC, NMRC/TCR/012-NUHS/2014); the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (as part of the Growth, Development and Metabolism Programme of the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) (H17/01/a0/005); and as part of Gravida, a New Zealand Government Centre of Research Excellence. Funding for aspects of the NiPPeR study has been provided by Société Des Produits Nestlé S.A under a Research Agreement with the University of Southampton, Auckland UniServices Ltd, SICS, National University Hospital Singapore PTE Ltd and NUS. K.M.G. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR Senior Investigator (NF-SI-0515-10042), NIHR Southampton 1000DaysPlus Global Nutrition Research Group (17/63/154) and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Center (IS-BRC-1215-20004)), British Heart Foundation (RG/15/17/3174) and the European Union (Erasmus+ Programme ImpENSA 598488-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP). S.Y.C. is supported by a Singapore NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (NMRC/CSA-INV/0010/2016). The funders had no role in the data collection and analysis, and the decision to submit for publication.