Influence of body composition on physical activity validation studies using doubly labeled water

1 National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341; 3 Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030; 4 East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858; and 5 West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas 79016 Submitted 25 August 2003 ; accepted in final form 4 December 2003 This study investigated the influence of two approaches (mathematical transformation and statistical procedures), used to account for body composition [body mass or fat-free mass (FFM)], on associations between two measures of physical activity and energy expenditure determined by doubly labeled water (DLW). Complete data for these analyses were available for 136 African American (44.1%) and Hispanic (55.9%) women (mean age 50 ± 7.3 yr). Total energy expenditure (TEE) by DLW was measured over 14 days. Physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) was computed as 0.90 x TEE - resting metabolic rate. During week 2 , participants wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days and completed a 7-day diary. Pearson's product-moment correlations and three statistical procedures (multiple regressions, partial correlations, and allometric scaling) were used to assess the effect of body composition on associations. The methods-comparison analysis was used to study the effect of body composition on agreement. The statistical procedures demonstrated that associations improved when body composition was included in the model. The accelerometer explained a small but meaningful portion of the variance in TEE and PAEE after body mass was accounted for. The methods-comparison analysis confirmed that agreement with DLW was affected by the transformation. Agreement between the diary (transformed with body mass) and TEE reflected the association that exists between body mass and TEE. These results suggest that the accelerometer and diary accounted for a small portion of TEE and PAEE. Most of the variance in DLW-measured energy expenditure was explained by body mass or FFM. accelerometer; physical activity diary; energy expenditure; physical activity energy expenditure Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: L. C. Mâsse, Behavioral Research Program, Health Promotion Research Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, EPN 4076, MSC 7335, 6130 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892-7335.