Validity and Reproducibility of Resting Metabolic Rate Measurements in Rural Bangladeshi Women: Comparison of Measurements Obtained by Medgem and by Deltatrac Device

Objective: To assess reproducibility and validity of resting metabolic rate (RMR) of Bangladeshi women as measured with the MedGem device and using the Deltatrac metabolic monitor as a reference; and (2) to evaluate the FAO/WHO/UNU basal metabolic rate (BMR)-prediction equations.

Design: In each of two sessions, resting oxygen consumption was measured in triplicate by MedGem and in triplicate by Deltatrac device.

Setting: Matlab area, the rural field research area of the Centre for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).

Subjects: A total of 37 nonpregnant, nonlactating women, aged 27.6 +/- 4.5 y, BMI 20.8 +/- 3.1 kg/m(2) participated.

Results: The difference in oxygen consumption by MedGem and Deltatrac device was significantly level dependent. Within-subject within-session variations (expressed as CV) were 9.0 and 3.0% (P < 0.01) and within-subject between-session variations were 8.2 and 4.5% (P < 0.01) for MedGem and Deltatrac, respectively. Mean RMR measured by Deltatrac (5.17 +/- 0.51 MJ/day) was not significantly different from the BMR predicted by the FAO/WHO/UNU equations (5.16 +/- 0.42 MJ/day) in the second session and only 0.19 MJ/day higher than predicted in the first session (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Reproducibility and validity of the MedGem device was poor compared to the Deltatrac reference method. The FAO/WHO/UNU BMR-prediction equations give a good estimation of the BMR of rural, nonpregnant, nonlactating Bangladeshi women of 18-35 y.

Sponsorship: Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and ICDDR,B (Bangladesh).