Comparison of Total Fat, Percentage of Fat, Trunk Fat, Soft Lean and Mass Waist-Hip Ratio between Diabetic type II and Matched Non-Diabetic Iranians using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

Introduction: Research shows a relationship between diabetes (type II) and obesity. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a relatively new and approved method for the measurement of body composition. The aim of this study was to compare diabetic and non-diabetic adults on the basis of waist-hip ratio, total fat, percentage of fat, trunk fat, and soft lean mass. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, from a population of 23,395 adults, 928 diabetics (type II) were selected and matched with 928 healthy adults on the basis of age, gender, height, and weight. The analysis of data was performed by paired test and correlated samples t-test. Results: The comparison of males in all age groups, females less than 40, and females more than 60 years old showed no statistically significant difference on the basis of all outcome measures. In females between 40 and 60 years of age, fat percentile and trunk fat were less and soft lean mass was more observed among diabetics compared to non-diabetics, and the differences were statistically significant. The waist-hip ratio was less among diabetic females in the 50-60 age group compared with the matched non-diabetics. Conclusions: Diabetes is not related to male body composition, but is related to the body composition of females between 40 and 60 years of age, which can be due to the effects of diabetes on hormone glands during the menopause age. Among diabetic females between 50 and 60 years of age, a decrease in the waist-hip ratio can be due to the decrease in total fat and trunk fat.