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Estimation of total body water by bioelectrical impedance analysis in blacks
Author(s) -
Zillikens M. Carola,
Conway Joan M.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.1310030106
Subject(s) - bioelectrical impedance analysis , body water , regression analysis , medicine , population , body mass index , demography , linear regression , statistics , body weight , mathematics , environmental health , sociology
Several differences exist between the body composition of blacks and whites. This study was designed to investigate the applicability of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in blacks, using prediction equations developed in whites. A multiple regression equation developed on 79 white adults, using deuterium oxide dilution space total body water (D 2 O‐TBW) as the reference method, was prospectively applied to 88 blacks aged 19–50 years. Although the regression line of D 2 O‐TBW on BIA‐TBW was not significantly different from the line of identity (r = 0.98, SEE = 1.71 liters), mean TBW was significantly underestimated by 0.84 liter. Other BIA equations from the literature also underestimated D 2 O‐TBW in blacks, except for an equation developed on a mixed black and white population. Multiple regression analysis on the data of the black and white subjects combined showed that race, offered as a separate independent variable, improved the correlation with D 2 O‐TBW slightly but significantly ( P < 0.01). It was concluded that BIA may be valuable in the assessment of body composition in blacks as well as in whites. In this study a small underestimation of TBW occurred in blacks, using (BIA) equations from whites. This may be due to racial differences in body composition or to factors unrelated to ethnicity.