Feasibility of bioelectrical impedance analysis in persons with severe intellectual and visual disabilities.
A quick Bodystat QuadScan gives trustworthy body-composition data for clients with severe ID and visual loss—no extra gear needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked if a Bodystat QuadScan could safely measure body fat in adults with severe intellectual disability and little or no sight. They tried the test on each person twice to see if the numbers matched.
No extra straps, lights, or rewards were added. Staff simply helped the client stand on the scale and hold the hand grips.
What they found
The scan worked on almost nine out of ten tries. The two readings for fat-free mass and resistance were nearly identical, showing the tool is reliable.
Clients tolerated the short procedure without distress, so no special behavior plan was needed.
How this fits with other research
Hattier et al. (2011) got the same good news with the modified Berg Balance Scale in the exact same population. Both studies prove you can collect valid data without fancy gear or rewards.
Kleinert et al. (2007) had earlier shown that standard balance tests fail in profound ID. The new BIA data extend that line of work by giving you a test that actually works, not one to avoid.
Nicola et al. (2018) later showed the MABC-2 can travel over telehealth. Together these papers build a menu: use BIA in person, use MABC-2 on screen, and skip the old tools that L et al. already ruled out.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with severe ID, you can now track body composition as easily as you track weight. Reliable numbers help justify diet changes, fluid shifts, or GI meds without repeated blood draws. Add the two-minute scan to annual physicals or whenever a client starts a new medication that affects weight.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Body composition measurements provide important information about physical fitness and nutritional status. People with severe intellectual and visual disabilities (SIVD) have an increased risk for altered body composition. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been evidenced as a reliable and non-invasive method to asses body composition in healthy persons and various patient populations; however, currently, there is no feasible method available to determine body composition in people with SIVD. In this study, therefore, we aimed to assess the feasibility of BIA measurements in persons with SIVD. METHODS: In 33 participants with SIVD and Gross Motor Functioning Classification System (GMFCS) Scale I, II, III, or IV, two BIA measurements were sequentially performed employing Resistance and Reactance in Ohm and fat-free mass (FFM) in kg as outcome variables, utilizing the Bodystat(®) QuadScan 4000. Feasibility was considered sufficient if ≥ 80% of the first measurement was performed successfully. Agreement between two repeated measurements was determined by using the paired t-test and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC; two way random, absolute agreement). Bland-Altman analyses were utilized to determine limits of agreement (LOAs) and systematic error. Agreement was considered acceptable if LOAs were <10% of the mean of the first measurement. RESULTS: The first BIA measurements were completed successfully in 88% of the participants. The paired t-test demonstrated no significant differences in Resistance, Reactance, and FFM between BIA Measurements 1 and 2 (P=0.140, 0.091, and 0.866). ICC was 0.965 (95% CI: 0.922-0.984) for Resistance; 0.858 (95% CI: 0.705-0.934) for Reactance; and 0.992 (95% CI: 0.982-0.996) for FFM. LOAs expressed as a percentage of the mean of Measurement 1 were 6.1% for Resistance, 17.6% for Reactance, and 3.8% for FFM. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that BIA measurements seem to be feasible in persons with SIVD. Although these results require confirmation in a more extensive sample of persons with SIVD, the findings of this study are an important first step in the assessment of applicability of BIA measurements for non-invasive monitoring of physical fitness and nutritional status of persons with SIVD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.09.003