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Validity and reproducibility of resting metabolic rate measurements in rural Bangladeshi women: comparison of measurements obtained by Medgem™ and by Deltatrac™ device

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 651–657 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To assess reproducibility and validity of resting metabolic rate (RMR) of Bangladeshi women as measured with the MedGem device and using the Deltatrac metabolic monitor as a reference; and (2) to evaluate the FAO/WHO/UNU basal metabolic rate (BMR)-prediction equations.

Design:

In each of two sessions, resting oxygen consumption was measured in triplicate by MedGem and in triplicate by Deltatrac device.

Setting:

Matlab area, the rural field research area of the Centre for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).

Subjects:

A total of 37 nonpregnant, nonlactating women, aged 27.6±4.5 y, BMI 20.8±3.1 kg/m2 participated.

Results:

The difference in oxygen consumption by MedGem and Deltatrac device was significantly level dependent. Within-subject within-session variations (expressed as CV) were 9.0 and 3.0% (P<0.01) and within-subject between-session variations were 8.2 and 4.5% (P<0.01) for MedGem and Deltatrac, respectively. Mean RMR measured by Deltatrac (5.17±0.51 MJ/day) was not significantly different from the BMR predicted by the FAO/WHO/UNU equations (5.16±0.42 MJ/day) in the second session and only 0.19 MJ/day higher than predicted in the first session (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Reproducibility and validity of the MedGem device was poor compared to the Deltatrac reference method. The FAO/WHO/UNU BMR-prediction equations give a good estimation of the BMR of rural, nonpregnant, nonlactating Bangladeshi women of 18–35 y.

Sponsorship:

Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and ICDDR,B (Bangladesh).

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Poverty and Health grant of the Department for International Development (DFID), UK (Grant Number 00230) to ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research. ICDDR,B acknowledges with gratitude the commitment of DFID to the Centre's research effort. We are grateful to the ICDDR, B staff that gave full support to this study, and to Shamsun Naher, Rokeya Akter, Rashida Akter and Ramjan Ali for their valuable contribution to data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    D S Alam, M Yunus & M A Salam

  2. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    P J M Hulshof, D Roordink, M Meltzer & J M A van Raaij

Authors
  1. D S Alam
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  2. P J M Hulshof
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  3. D Roordink
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  4. M Meltzer
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  5. M Yunus
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  6. M A Salam
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  7. J M A van Raaij
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P J M Hulshof.

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Guarantor: PJM Hulshof.

Contributors: DSA, JvR and PH conceptualized and supervised the study and developed the analysis plan. MM, DR, MY and MAS assisted with the study design. MM and DR led the data collection and analysis and provided support for the manuscript preparation. All authors critically revised the first draft for content and contributed to the final draft. No authors had any financial or personal interest in the research conducted.

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Alam, D., Hulshof, P., Roordink, D. et al. Validity and reproducibility of resting metabolic rate measurements in rural Bangladeshi women: comparison of measurements obtained by Medgem™ and by Deltatrac™ device. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 651–657 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602122

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