Assessing the reliability and cross-sectional and longitudinal validity of fifteen bioelectrical impedance analysis devices
Open accessAbstract
The purpose of this investigation was to expand upon the limited existing research examining the test–retest reliability, cross-sectional validity and longitudinal validity of a sample of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) devices as compared with a laboratory four-compartment (4C) model. Seventy-three healthy participants aged 19–50 years were assessed by each of fifteen BIA devices, with resulting body fat percentage estimates compared with a 4C model utilising air displacement plethysmography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioimpedance spectroscopy. A subset of thirty-seven participants returned for a second visit 12–16 weeks later and were included in an analysis of longitudinal validity. The sample of devices included fourteen consumer-grade and one research-grade model in a variety of configurations: hand-to-hand, foot-to-foot and bilateral hand-to-foot (octapolar). BIA devices demonstrated high reliability, with precision error ranging from 0·0 to 0·49 %. Cross-sectional validity varied, with constant error relative to the 4C model ranging from −3·5 (sd 4·1) % to 11·7 (sd 4·7) %, standard error of the estimate values of 3·1–7·5 % and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) of 0·48–0·94. For longitudinal validity, constant error ranged from −0·4 (sd 2·1) % to 1·3 (sd 2·7) %, with standard error of the estimate values of 1·7–2·6 % and Lin’s CCC of 0·37–0·78. While performance varied widely across the sample investigated, select models of BIA devices (particularly octapolar and select foot-to-foot devices) may hold potential utility for the tracking of body composition over time, particularly in contexts in which the purchase or use of a research-grade device is infeasible.
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Such data may no longer be representative over time because companies producing such software can alter the equations without notifying users.
“Furthermore, such data may no longer be representative over time because companies producing such software can alter the equations without notifying users [29].”
From High-standard predictive equations for estimating body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis: a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as [29]
The Discussion’s Strengths and limitations section (page unavailable) reports that a firmware update during data collection changed one device’s algorithm. The Longitudinal validity section cautions that some devices may not accurately track body-composition changes over time. Neither passage says the change occurred without notifying users or establishes that the update made earlier data unrepresentative. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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“Furthermore, variations in error exist within single techniques (e.g. variations between different models of BIA devices) [63], and the included body composition techniques are understood to be valid and reliable within 5% of total error [64].”
Cretescu, I., Munteanu, O., Mocanu, V., & Horhat, R. (2026) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app16021082
- Authors
- Siedler, M. R., Rodriguez, C., Stratton, M. T., Harty, P. S., Keith, D. S., Green, J. J., Boykin, J. R., White, S. J., Williams, A. D., DeHaven, B., & Tinsley, G. M.
- Affiliations
- Texas Tech University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tinsley, Grant M.
- Venue
- British Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2022-11-21
- Volume
- 130
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 827-840
- ISSN
- 0007-1145 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2662
- PMC
- PMC10404482
- OpenAlex
- W4309447729
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 5.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- British Journal Of Nutrition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ThinkTech (Texas Tech University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- ThinkTech (Texas Tech University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Texas Tech University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Electrical and Bioimpedance Tomography
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Reliability and Agreement in Measurement
- Keywords
- bioelectrical impedance analysis, body composition assessment, body fat percentage, test-retest reliability, longitudinal validity, four-compartment model, precision error
- MeSH terms
- Body Composition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Reproducibility of Results, Absorptiometry, Photon, Electric Impedance
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