title: A new air displacement plethysmograph for the measurement of body composition in infants.
abstract: ABSTRACT This article introduces and evaluates the PEA POD Infant Body Composition System, an air displacement plethysmograph designed for the assessment of body composition in infants between birth and 6 mo of age. The performance of the PEA POD was evaluated by repeated testing of National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable weights and volumes. Mass was measured in a single session. Volume was measured in four sessions during a 2-d period (five times/session for both). The mean values for repeated mass measurements were almost identical to the masses of traceable weights. The SD and CV for repeated volume measurements were 1.1-4.5 mL and 0.02-0.09%, respectively. Both the mean SD and CV were within very narrow ranges (1.4-3.1 mL for SD and 0.03-0.08% for CV) across all volume levels. Furthermore, mean CV values using results from the four sessions indicated excellent within- and between-day reliability. Regression analyses (by session or with all sessions combined) of the measured volume against actual volume gave very low standard error of the estimate (SEE) (0.853-1.957 mL) and very high R(2) (1.000), with the intercept and slope not significantly different from 0 and 1, respectively. The mean percentage error in volume measurements was < or =0.05% at all volume levels. The study findings and the operational and physical characteristics of the system indicate that the PEA POD has the potential to provide clinicians and researchers with a diagnostic and research tool that is accurate, easily used by operators, and comfortable for subjects.
authors.affiliation: Life Measurement Incorporated, Concord, CA 94520, USA. aurlando@bodpod.com
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urlando
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dempster
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aitkens
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001823:Body Composition; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010993:Plethysmography, Whole Body / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*