Body mass index as an indicator of adiposity among adults with intellectual disability

• Published in: Journal of intellectual & developmental disability 2010-06, Vol.35 (2), p.116-120
• Main Authors: Temple, Viviene A., Walkley, Jeff W., Greenway, Kate
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adiposity; Adult; Adults; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Down syndrome; Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); Female; Health indicators; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - epidemiology; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Learning disabled people; Male; Mental health; Middle Aged; Moderate Intellectual Disability; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Residential Facilities; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Volunteers; X-rays; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1366-8250; 1469-9532
• DOI: 10.3109/13668251003694598

Background Body mass index (BMI) has been identified as a key health indicator and determinant of health for people with intellectual disability. Our aim was to examine whether BMI is a useful indicator of adiposity among a sample of adults with intellectual disability. Method Participants were 46 ambulatory community-dwelling volunteers with mild to moderate intellectual disability. Age ranged from 19 to 60 years, 25 were male, and 17 had Down syndrome. Soft tissue composition was determined using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA) and height and weight were directly assessed. Results Regression equations revealed that BMI accounted for 68% of the variance in percent body fat and 83% of the variance in total body fat. Partial correlations of BMI with fat and lean masses determined by DXA were r = .91 and r = −.12, respectively. A BMI of ≥ 30 had excellent specificity for obesity, but less than optimal sensitivity. Conclusions BMI appears to be a reasonable indicator of adiposity, although a BMI ≥ 30 may misclassify a proportion of individuals assessed by DXA as obese.