Body composition reference values in Singaporean adults using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-The Yishun study

Area of Science:

• Human Physiology
• Body Composition Analysis
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Accurate body composition data is vital for assessing health and disease risk.
• Existing reference databases for Southeast Asian populations are limited.
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides precise measurements of body composition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish age- and sex-specific reference values for key body composition indices in multi-ethnic Singaporean adults.
• To provide data on fat mass index (FMI), lean mass index (LMI), and body fat distribution.
• To create a valuable resource for clinical practice and future research.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 537 community-dwelling adults (aged 21-90 years) in Singapore.
• Whole body and regional fat and lean mass measured using DXA (Hologic Discovery Wi).
• Age- and sex-specific percentile reference values generated using the Lambda-Mu-Sigma method.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations between age and body composition parameters were observed in both sexes (p < 0.05).
• Lean mass index (LMI) and appendicular LMI (aLMI) showed negative associations with age in men.
• Fat distribution indices (Android/Gynoid % fat, Trunk/Limb % fat) positively correlated with age in both men and women.

Conclusions:

• DXA-based body composition reference data for Singaporean adults have been successfully established.
• These data are beneficial for geriatric, obesity, and oncology clinics to manage individuals with unfavorable body composition.
• The study contributes essential reference data to the limited database on Southeast Asian body composition.