Precisão do método de bioimpedância na avaliação da composição corporal em mulheres brasileiras menopausadas

Predictive accuracy of bioimpendance method for assessing body composition of brazilian menopause women The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive accuracy of the Bioimpedance (BIA) method for the assessment of the body composition of 95 Brazilian pos-menopause women (62.27 ± 7.69 years). The BIA method is relatively not expensive, fast and not invasive (LUKASKI, 1987). However, the validity of this method has never been tested in older Brazilian women. Moreover, CHUMLEA & BAUMGARTNER (1989) do not recommend the use of the hydrostatic weighing in older individual. Thus, the DXA (DPX-IQ, Version 4.6) was used to obtain the reference relative fat (%BF), and the fat free mass (FFM). The total body resistance was measured with a BIA RJL model. The LOHMAN (1992) specific equation for elders, and the SEGAL et al. (1988) fatness specific equations (obese > 30%BF and not obese < 30%BF) were analysed in this study. The results were as follows: The LOHMAN et al. (1992) BIA equation presented a good validity coefficient (r = 0.88), an excellent standard error of estimation (SEE = 2.01 kg). However, the LOHMAN equation significantly overestimated the FFM of the studied sample (D = 0.63 kg). However, the BIA equations of SEGAL et al. (1988) accurately estimated the FFM of the studied sample (D = 0.40 kg), and presented an acceptable error (SEE = 2.11 kg). Based on these results, it can be recommended to physical education professionals, endocrinologists and nutritionists the use of the BIA method for the assessment of the body composition of Brazilian menopause women.