Body composition estimation using skinfolds in children with and without health conditions affecting growth and body composition

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.

Keywords:

• Crohn’s disease
• Down syndrome
• Fat mass
• fat-free mass
• percentage body fat

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly appreciate the contributions of the families and children who participated in this study and the staff of the CHOP Clinical and Translational Research Center who collected the data with meticulous care.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Funding information

This study was supported by NIH grants K23 RR16073, K24-DK076808 (MBL), R01 HD071981, UL1TR000003 and the Nutrition Center and Research Institute of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Notes

1 NHANES sample weights were not used in the analyses because the study focused on correspondence in body composition estimated by different methods rather than accurate representation of body composition in the US population.