Measuring body composition in children: research and practice

Body composition for paediatricians Measuring body composition provides clinically useful information for many paediatric conditions such as cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, eating disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. Body composition measurements provide an insight into disease severity, nutritional status and long-term health risks, enabling paediatricians and allied health professionals to plan and deliver more holistic care. Waist circumference measurements and assessment of fat mass (FM) and percentage fat using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) are two examples of methods in clinical use. Component models of body composition A variety of techniques exist to measure body composition, ranging in complexity and accuracy, and which have utility across both research and clinical settings (table 1). However, all rely on the same key principles of measuring different chemical constituents of the human body. Measurement of body composition at its simplest quantifies these key constituents into two components: FM and...

Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education and Practice - July 19, 2023 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Prior, E., Uthaya, S. N., Gale, C. Tags: Research in Practice Source Type: research