NSU Research Contributions
Title : Body Composition of Bangladeshi Children: Comparison and Development of Leg-to-Leg Bioelectrical Impedance Equation
Authors : Ashraful I. Khan, Sophie Hawkesworth, Mohammad Delwer Hossain Hawlader, Shams El Arifeen, Sophie Moore, Andrew P. Hills, Jonathan C. Wells, Lars-Åke Persson, and Iqbal Kabir
| Journal Article Title: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (J Health Popul Nutr) | Volume Number: 30 | Publication Year : 2012 | Issue Number: 3 |
| Index: scopus | Ranking: Q3 | Publisher Name: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) | |
| Pages : 10 | |||
| ISSN (Online): 1606-0997 | |||
| Funding Source : None |
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Direct Sustainable Development Goals : SDG3 Good Health & Well-being |
Indirect Sustainable Development Goals : SDG2 Zero Hunger SDG10 Reduced Inequality |
Sustainable Development Sub Goals : Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being Achieve universal health coverage End all forms of malnutrition |
| Impact statement: This study evaluates the accuracy of the Tanita TBF 300A leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer for measuring body composition in 200 Bangladeshi children, revealing that standard in-built equations significantly underestimate body water in boys and body fat in girls. The research highlights that the "South Asian malnourished phenotype"—characterized by low muscle mass and a tendency toward central adiposity—requires population-specific metrics that standard Caucasian-based models fail to provide. By developing a new, highly accurate prediction equation (R² = 89%) that incorporates height, weight, sex, and age, the authors provide a vital, low-cost field tool for public health workers. These findings serve as a critical call to action for clinicians to move beyond simple BMI measurements and use tailored assessment techniques to better understand and prevent the early origins of adult chronic diseases in South Asian populations. | Collaboration: Partner University | Keywords: Bioelectrical impedance; Body composition; Children; Deuterium oxide dilution; Bangladesh |