To Predict Body Composition of Children and Adolescents by BIA in China

Objective : The paper aims to provide predictive coefficients via BIA for the assessment of body composition in children and adolescents to serve clinical as well as research purposes. Methods : Body composition via dual-energy x­ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioelectric impedance as well as other anthropometric index were derived from meaurements on 1026 children and adolescents aged from 6 to 18 years from Beijing City. The best subset regression and principle component analysis were adopted to build the predictive coefficients with the logarithm of body composition via DXA as response variable. Results : Condition index ${\varphi}$ of fat-free mass multiple linear regression achieves 113.49 and 91.18 for males and females respectively, demonstrating severe multicollinearity among anthropometric indexes in children and adolescents. BIA predictive coefficients base on the best subset regression and principle component analysis boast a content predictive value for lean mass ($r^2$ = 0.9697 and 0.9664 for boys and girls respectively, p < 0.0001) and for Fat$\%$ ($r^2$ = 0.7705 and 0.6959 for boys and girls respectively, p < 0.0001). Conclusions : BIA method is applicable for the prediction of body composition for children and adolescents.