Funding outcome

Body composition (BC) refers to different body compartments, specifically fat, muscle, and bone, and measuring these components can indicate health status. Imbalances between BC compartments may be linked to the onset or worsening of diseases and impact clinical outcomes, such as mobility and glucose control. BC varies across races and ethnicities; however, most data are on White, adults and populations with normal weight. There are several methods for BC assessment; however, their use in clinical practice is limited, especially for remote and lower-income areas. Three-dimensional optical (3DO) body scanners are novel BC methods that have gained attention for their quick and easy approach and possible applicability to clinical practice. Some are even available in the palm of a hand, using free smartphone applications, and scans are performed in less than a minute. These emerging techniques require comprehensive study in pediatrics, especially when obesity is present, to ensure these techniques are ready for clinical use. Thus, we aim to assess the BC of multiethnic adolescents with obesity using two novel 3DO body scanners and compare their results with gold-standard methods. We will also evaluate whether the 3DO scanners provide precise results by performing it in duplicate and comparing their results. Finally, we will compare the 3DO performance results between adolescents with and without obesity. We expect that these new emergent techniques will present good performance results, both in adolescents with and without obesity, allowing BC assessment to become more available in clinical practice to guide more individualized pediatric obesity management. For instance, a parent would be able to scan an adolescent of Indigenous descent living in a remote community in the comfort of their home and transfer the results for free to a clinician located elsewhere to better inform their health assessment, removing social and economic barriers to healthcare.