Body composition obtained by bioelectrical impedance with a nutritional questionnaire in children with chronic kidney disease, obesity, or hypertension

Aim: The purpose of the study was to determine body composition using bioimpedance (BIA), to obtain perinatal parameters and eating habits of a group of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), children with obesity and arterial hypertension (AH), and children with normal weight and AH, and to compare results with a healthy population. Materials and methods: Body composition data were collected using Nutrilab Bioimpedance device (Akern 2016 with Biatrodes, Akern electrodes). The results, namely fat-free mass (FFM), total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), body cell mass (BCM), fat mass (FM), phase angle (PA), and nutritional questionnaire have been statistically analyzed by SPSS software using independent samples t-test and Pearson's correlation test. Results: 128 children were analyzed - 30 with CKD, 30 obese children with AH, 30 normal-weight children with AH, and 38 healthy children as a control group. Results showed significant differences in parameters between our control group and hypertensive patients and between our control group and obese patients with AH. There was a statistically significant difference for TBW and ECW between the control group and children with CKD, other parameters were in lower ranges compared to the control group. The questionnaire evaluation showed significant differences in perinatal parameters, food habits, and family history in all groups. Conclusion: Our pilot study confirmed that BIA parameters of some chronic pediatric patients differ significantly compared to the healthy pediatric population. The results give insight into the importance of monitoring the nutritional status of patients with presumed risk and thus preventing further complications.