Reference percentiles for bioimpedance body composition parameters of healthy individuals: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Clinics (São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 77; p. 100078
• Main Authors: Amaral, Marina Azambuja, Mundstock, Eduardo, Scarpatto, Camila H., Cañon-Montañez, Wilson, Mattiello, Rita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.01.2022; Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina / USP
• Subjects: Bioelectrical impedance analysis; Body composition; Body fat; Fat-free mass; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Original; Reference standard; Fat-free mass; Bioelectrical impedance analysis; Body fat; Reference standard; Body composition
• ISSN: 1807-5932; 1980-5322; 1980-5322
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100078

•Body composition is considered an important predictor in different clinical and health promotion scenarios.•This is the first study to describe the reference values of body composition composed of a sample of Brazilians stratified by different life cycles, sex, and race.•This is the first study that includes the evaluation of all parameters of body composition assessed from electrical bioimpedance. The aim of this study was to estimate the percentage distribution of body composition parameters for healthy people at different ages from the assessment of electrical bioimpedance. A cross-sectional study of healthy Brazilian aged 5 years and older. Were evaluated: total body fat; percent body fat; fat-free mass; percent lean mass; fat mass index; and fat-free mass index. Of 1240 participants, with a median age of 27.0 years, 52.5% were female, and 73.7% were Caucasian. Most of the body composition variables were associated with age. The fat-free mass increased from youth to adult and decreased in the elderly in both sexes, with higher values in males than in females. In males, the percentage of lean mass has higher values in adolescence compared to childhood, and in adults compared to the elderly, when analyzed from the 50th percentile. In women, fat-free mass compared to adulthood, values were higher in childhood and lower in older ages. The study is the first to describe the Brazilian reference values for most clinical parameters of bioimpedance in percentiles stratified by different life cycles and sex. These findings can be very useful in clinical practice for health promotion and monitoring the nutritional status of the individual.