Energy expenditure and estimated caloric intake in asthmatic adolescents with excess body weight

To measure resting energy expenditure (REE) and to estimate caloric intake of asthmatic adolescents with excess body weight and compare results with those groups of eutrophic asthmatic adolescents and non-asthmatic adolescents with excess body weight.

This cross-sectional study categorized 69 adolescents aged 10 to 18 y into three matched groups. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric and body composition measurements. Indirect calorimetry was used to measure energy expenditure, and caloric intake was estimated from dietary recalls.

In each group, there were 23 adolescents (10 girls) aged 12.39 ± 2.40 y. Results for each group were as follows. For asthmatic adolescents with excess body weight, body mass index (BMI) was 24.83 ± 2.73 kg/m(2), REEs were 1550.24 ± 547.23 kcal/d and 27.69 ± 11.33 kcal · kg(-1) · d(-1), and estimated caloric intake was 2068.75 ± 516.66 kcal/d; for eutrophic asthmatic adolescents, BMI was 19.01 ± 2.10 kg/m(2), REEs were 1540.82 ± 544.22 kcal/d and 36.65 ± 15.04 kcal · kg(-1) · d(-1), and estimated caloric intake was 2174.05 ± 500.55 kcal/d; and for non-asthmatic adolescents with excess body weight, BMI was 25.35 ± 3.66 kg/m(2), REEs were 1697.24 ± 379.84 kcal/d and 28.18 ± 6.70 kcal · kg(-1) · d(-1), and estimated caloric intake was 1673.17 ± 530.68 kcal/d. Absolute REE values between groups were not statistically different, even after correction for lean mass and fat mass (F = 0.186, P = 0.831). REE (kilocalories per kilogram per day) was significantly higher in the group of eutrophic asthmatic adolescents (P = 0.016). Estimated caloric intake was greater than REE only in the group of adolescents with asthma.

The REE was not significantly different among groups, and REE (kilocalories per kilogram per day) was higher in the group of eutrophic asthmatic adolescents. Estimated caloric intake was greater than REE in the group of adolescents with asthma.