Clinical Applications

Evidence-based applications of body composition assessment in clinical practice, based on research by Ellis (2000), Heymsfield et al. (2005), and recent systematic reviews.

Clinical Applications

Primary Care Assessment

Clinical applications of body composition assessment (Ellis, 2000):

  • Nutritional status evaluation
  • Growth and development monitoring
  • Disease state assessment
  • Treatment response tracking

Clinical Validation

Validation studies in clinical settings (Heymsfield et al., 2005):

  • Multi-component model validation
  • Field method accuracy assessment
  • Population-specific equations
  • Method standardization protocols

Research Applications

Clinical Research

Applications in clinical trials and research (Wang et al., 1992):

Study Design

  • Method selection criteria
  • Protocol standardization
  • Quality control measures
  • Data validation procedures

Outcome Assessment

  • Treatment effect monitoring
  • Longitudinal tracking
  • Intervention evaluation
  • Clinical endpoint assessment

Population Studies

Epidemiological Research

Applications in population health research (Gallagher et al., 2000):

  • Reference data development
  • Population norms establishment
  • Health risk assessment
  • Demographic analysis

References

  • Ellis, K.J. (2000). “Human body composition: in vivo methods.” Physiological Reviews, 80(2), 649-680.
  • Heymsfield, S.B., et al. (2005). “Human Body Composition.” Human Kinetics.
  • Wang, Z.M., et al. (1992). “The five-level model: a new approach to organizing body-composition research.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 56(1), 19-28.
  • Gallagher, D., et al. (2000). “Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72(3), 694-701.