The Role of Bioimpedance Analysis of Body Composition in Preventive Medical Examinations

One of the most important tasks of healthcare is to preserve the health of the younger generation, based on regular preventive medical examinations and screening. In recent decades, according to WHO, the proportion of citizens, including young people, who have overweight, metabolic disorders and obesity, which increases the risk of cardiovascular, endocrine and other pathologies, has been growing. At the same time, there is a category of people with a body weight deficiency, which also entails some risks. We conducted a study in which almost healthy students of the 2 courses of the Medical Institute of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba participated in the process of undergoing an annual preventive examination. The total number of respondents of both sexes was 103 people aged 18 to 21, including 62 girls and 41 boys. According to the body mass index, the students were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 25 people with body weight deficiency, group 2 included 50 people with normal body weight, and group 3 included 28 people with excess body weight and obesity. In addition to traditional research methods: measuring blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse, body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, calculating body mass index, bioimpedance analysis of body composition was used. The purpose of our study was to compare the parameters of bioimpedance analysis of body composition with the results of other methods to assess its prospects during preventive examinations and screening. The method allows you to objectively assess the body's component composition: the content of adipose tissue, visceral fat, skeletal muscle mass, water, protein, minerals, and fat-free mass in the body. The results of the study showed a pronounced difference in most parameters of bioimpedance analysis between the selected groups of students. The use of the technique is promising for preventive studies, as it expands the ensemble of objective parameters to assess the current state and risks of develoning a number of diseases.