Agreement between equations-estimated resting metabolic rate and indirect calorimetry-estimated resting metabolic rate in low-income obese women.

Objectives Indirect calorimetry is established as a gold standard to determine the resting metabolic rate (RMR), however, its clinical use is limited, especially in low-income settings. Thus, the use of predictive equations appear as an alternative to estimate the RMR, but its precision is debatable, especially in obese individuals and in populations without specifically developed equations. To evaluate the agreement between the RMR estimated by equations and by indirect calorimetry in low-income obese women. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional study with adult and obese women, which estimated the RMR by indirect calorimetry and compared with 13 predictive equations using the concordance correlation coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE) and Bland-Altman methods. The maximum allowed differences were predefined as 10%. Results No equation presented its confidence intervals for the Bland-Altman limits of agreement inside the predefined acceptable range. The Harris-Benedict equation achieved better agreement (bias of 2.9% and RMSE of 274.3kcal) whereas the Henry-Rees equation achieved better precision (42.3% of the sample within the 10% maximum allowed difference). Conclusion None of the studied equations satisfactorily estimated the RMR estimated by indirect calorimetry. In the absence of specific equations for this population, the use of the Harris-Benedict and Henry-Rees equations could be considered.

Association between Adult Stature and Energy Expenditure in Low-Income Women from Northeastern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal undernutrition may lead to important metabolic adaptations in adult life, short stature being the most visible. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between stature and total energy expenditure of low-income women. METHOD: Women aged 19-45 years from low-income communities in Maceió-AL were recruited. A sample of 67 volunteers was selected and divided into either short stature (≤ 152.4 cm; n = 34) or non-short stature (≥ 158.7 cm; n = 33) group. Data on socioeconomic status, anthropometric variables, and hormonal profiles was collected. Total energy expenditure and body composition were assessed by the doubly labeled water technique with multiple points over 14 days. In addition, physical activity levels were measured with triaxial accelerometers and dietary intake data were collected using three 24-hour food records. RESULTS: The mean subject age was 30.94 years. Women of short stature had lower body weight and lean body mass compared to non-short women, but there were no differences in thyroid hormone concentrations or daily energy intake between the two groups. Short-stature women showed lower total energy expenditure (P = 0.01) and a significantly higher physical activity level (P = 0.01) compared to non-short women. However, the difference in total energy expenditure was no longer significant after statistical adjustment for age, lean body mass, and triiodothyronine concentrations. CONCLUSION: Women with short stature present the same energy intake, but lower total energy expenditure than non-short women, even with a higher physical activity level, which suggests that they are more prone to weight gain.

Agreement between equations-estimated resting metabolic rate and indirect calorimetry-estimated resting metabolic rate in low-income obese women

ABSTRACT Objectives Indirect calorimetry is established as a gold standard to determine the resting metabolic rate (RMR), however, its clinical use is limited, especially in low-income settings. Thus, the use of predictive equations appear as an alternative to estimate the RMR, but its precision is debatable, especially in obese individuals and in populations without specifically developed equations. To evaluate the agreement between the RMR estimated by equations and by indirect calorimetry in low-income obese women. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional study with adult and obese women, which estimated the RMR by indirect calorimetry and compared with 13 predictive equations using the concordance correlation coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE) and Bland-Altman methods. The maximum allowed differences were predefined as 10%. Results No equation presented its confidence intervals for the Bland-Altman limits of agreement inside the predefined acceptable range. The Harris-Benedict equation achieved better agreement (bias of 2.9% and RMSE of 274.3kcal) whereas the Henry-Rees equation achieved better precision (42.3% of the sample within the 10% maximum allowed difference). Conclusion None of the studied equations satisfactorily estimated the RMR estimated by indirect calorimetry. In the absence of specific equations for this population, the use of the Harris-Benedict and Henry-Rees equations could be considered.

Perfil socioeconômico, nutricional e de ingestão alimentar de beneficiários do Programa Bolsa Família / Socioeconomic, nutritional and dietary intake of beneficiaries of Bolsa Família Program

Foram estudados beneficiários do Programa Bolsa Família de Maceió (AL) e encontrada alta prevalência de desnutrição nas crianças (18 por cento) e adolescentes (20 por cento); mas excesso de peso nos adultos (51 por cento). As mulheres beneficiárias tiveram quatro vezes mais chance de ter obesidade abdominal em relação aos outros adultos. A maioria das famílias (92 por cento) apresentou Insegurança Alimentar (IA), sendo em 33 por cento grave. Houve associação entre IA e maior número de pessoas na casa e desemprego. Entre as obesas houve aumento no consumo de alimentos ricos em carboidratos e lipídios em relação à outra população não beneficiária. Encontrou-se ingestão inadequada de cálcio, folato, vitamina E, magnésio, vitamina C, zinco, riboflavina, tiamina e fibra. Esses achados demonstram a necessidade de ações integradas entre políticas de educação/saúde e os programas de transferência de renda.