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Development of height-weight based equation for assessment of body composition in Sri Lankan children

Vithanage P Wickramasinghe1, Sanath P Laabadusuriya, Geoff J Cleghorn

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka. pujithaw@yahoo.com

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|January 27, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This study developed a new height and weight equation to estimate total body water (TBW) in Sri Lankan children. This equation is the first of its kind validated for South Asian populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Human Physiology
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Accurate assessment of total body water (TBW) is crucial for pediatric health monitoring.
  • Existing prediction equations for TBW may not be accurate for diverse ethnic populations, including South Asians.
  • There is a need for population-specific equations to estimate TBW in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a predictive equation for total body water (TBW) in Sri Lankan children.
  • To utilize simple anthropometric measurements (height and weight) for estimating TBW.
  • To address the lack of validated TBW prediction equations in South Asian pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 5-15 year old healthy Sri Lankan children.
  • Total body water (TBW) was measured using the deuterium dilution (D2O) method.
  • Multiple regression analysis was employed to develop the prediction equation, with height, weight, and sex as variables, validated using the PRESS technique.

Main Results:

  • A novel height and weight-based equation for predicting total body water (TBW) in Sri Lankan children was successfully developed.
  • This equation represents the first height-weight prediction model for TBW validated in a South Asian pediatric cohort.
  • The study provides a practical tool for estimating TBW using readily available anthropometric data.

Conclusions:

  • The developed equation offers a valuable, non-invasive method for estimating TBW in Sri Lankan children.
  • Further research is recommended to validate these findings in similar populations using multicomponent body composition analysis.
  • The study highlights the importance of developing and validating anthropometric equations tailored to specific ethnic and geographic groups.
Abstract

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