Validity of new child-specific thoracic gas volume prediction equations for air-displacement plethysmography

• Main Authors: Gower Barbara A, Goran Michael I, Hull Holly R, Sardinha Luis B, Silva Analiza M, Higgins Paul B, Fields David A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2006-06-01
• Series: BMC Pediatrics
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/6/18

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To determine the validity of the recently developed child-specific thoracic gas volume (TGV) prediction equations for use in air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) in diverse pediatric populations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three distinct populations were studied: European American and African American children living in Birmingham, Alabama and European children living in Lisbon, Portugal. Each child completed a standard ADP testing protocol, including a measured TGV according to the manufactures software criteria. Measured TGV was compared to the predicted TGV from current adult-based ADP proprietary equations and to the recently developed child-specific TGV equations of Fields <it>et al</it>. Similarly, percent body fat, derived using the TGV prediction equations, was compared to percent body fat derived using measured TGV.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Predicted TGV from adult-based equations was significantly different from measured TGV in girls from each of the three ethnic groups (<it>P </it>< 0.05), however child-specific TGV estimates did not significantly differ from measured TGV in any of the ethnic or gender groups. Percent body fat estimates using adult-derived and child-specific TGV estimates did not differ significantly from percent body fat measures using measured TGV in any of the groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The child-specific TGV equations developed by Fields <it>et al</it>. provided a modest improvement over the adult-based TGV equations in an ethnically diverse group of children.</p>