Department of Pediatrics and Nephrology, Medical University of Białystok, 17 Waszyngton Str., 15-274 Białystok, Poland.
Nutrients. 2024 Sep 23;16(18):3222. doi: 10.3390/nu16183222.
Children with spina bifida (SB) face an elevated risk of obesity, which necessitates precise methods for assessing body composition to ensure effective weight management. Conventional measures like BMI are inadequate for this population because of variations in growth patterns and skeletal structure. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a method that offers a clearer picture of body composition, yet its use in children with SB remains underexplored.
Conducted on 57 children with SB and 28 healthy controls, with a median age of 11 years, this study evaluated anthropometrics, including BMI and BIA-derived metrics. The Hoffer's scale to assess physical activity was applied in SB children.
Results showed that while 32% of SB patients were classified as overweight or obese based on BMI, 62% exhibited high body fat percentage via BIA. Fat-free mass, muscle and fat mass, and fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR) differed significantly compared to the reference group. Non-ambulators showed a higher median body fat mass percentage (25.9% vs. 17.8%, = 0.01) and FMR (0.92 vs. 0.44, = 0.003) in comparison to the community walkers.
In SB children, BIA-measured fat mass is a better obesity indicator than BMI. Non-ambulatory, SB patients with obesity had the highest FMR values, indicating a higher risk for metabolic syndrome.
患有脊柱裂（SB）的儿童肥胖风险较高，这就需要精确的方法来评估身体成分，以确保有效的体重管理。由于生长模式和骨骼结构的差异，BMI 等传统方法并不适用于这一人群。生物电阻抗分析（BIA）是一种更能准确反映身体成分的方法，但在 SB 儿童中的应用仍未得到充分探索。
本研究纳入了 57 名 SB 儿童和 28 名健康对照者，中位年龄为 11 岁，评估了包括 BMI 和 BIA 衍生指标在内的人体测量学指标。Hoffer 量表用于评估 SB 儿童的身体活动水平。
结果显示，32%的 SB 患者根据 BMI 被归类为超重或肥胖，而 62%的患者通过 BIA 显示出高体脂百分比。与参考组相比，无辅助步行者的去脂体重、肌肉和脂肪量以及脂肪与肌肉比（FMR）差异显著。与社区步行者相比，非辅助步行者的体脂百分比中位数（25.9% vs. 17.8%， = 0.01）和 FMR（0.92 vs. 0.44， = 0.003）更高。
在 SB 儿童中，BIA 测量的脂肪量比 BMI 更能准确反映肥胖情况。肥胖的非辅助步行 SB 患者的 FMR 值最高，表明其患代谢综合征的风险更高。
