Validity and Reliability of Micro-controller based BIA Instrument for Assessment of Upper and Lower limb in Male Subjects at Multi-Frequency

The purpose of this study was to validate the resultant data for assessment of upper and lower limb for male subjects, using developed microcontroller based bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) instrument with standard device (Microprocessor based 4 channel auto mode T.E.N.S unit) at multi-frequency. Twenty-two male subjects of age 21-45 years were taken under the examination. Data measured by developed BIA instrument is validated with data recorded by standard device. The recorded data represent that the measured data varies with frequencies. The frequencies used for the measurement were 5 KHz, 50 KHz, 100 KHz, 250 KHz, and 500 KHz. The results indicates that impedance of upper and lower limb change according to the frequency variations, and reduces with the increment of the different frequencies. A result also indicates that impedance of the left limb is greater than the impedance of the right limb. The results analysis of upper limb shows that error percentage between developed BIA instrument and standard device is less than 1.93Ω for left arm and less than 1.50Ω for the right arm at the same frequencies. The result analysis of lower limb shows that mean error percentage between both instruments, for left leg is less than 3.37Ω and less than 2.78Ω for right leg.