Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Versus Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry for Obesity Assessment in Pediatric Populations: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Objectives: Pediatric obesity represents a significant public health challenge, requiring accurate and accessible tools for assessing body composition in pediatric populations. This systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42024592366) compares the methodological accuracy and clinical utility of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in evaluating obesity among children and adolescents. Methods: Utilizing a comprehensive search across PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2024, we identified 28 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. The studies included involved participants aged 2–17 years with obesity and compared BIA with DXA as the reference standard. The exclusion criteria were studies focusing on adults, those that assessed BC solely using anthropometry, and those that did not report primary outcomes relevant to the comparison of BIA vs. DXA. Results: The findings reveal that despite recent technological advances improving BIA’s precision, it consistently underestimates body fat percentage and fat mass, particularly in overweight and obese pediatric populations. DXA it is often used as a reference method in the evaluation of whole-body composition due to its higher accuracy and reliability. BIA offers significant practical advantages in accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and portability, but enhancements are needed to improve its accuracy for individual-level assessments. Conclusions: While BIA shows…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Chaos and quantum thermalization
- The Dalton quantum chemistry program system
- Developing high safety Li-metal anodes for future high-energy Li-metal batteries: strategies and perspectives
- Structure and Energy Transfer in Photosystems of Oxygenic Photosynthesis
- Cord Blood Leptin and Adiponectin as Predictors of Adiposity in Children at 3 Years of Age: A Prospective Cohort Study
- Quantitative metabolomics by H-NMR and LC-MS/MS confirms altered metabolic pathways in diabetes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.