By Loraine Anyango.
Precision gaps in the management of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been a major challenge. Currently advise from nutritionists for weight loss has not been evidence based. Kisumu County has acquired Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) machines to provide for informing personalized advice based on analysis of body composition. BIA, at the press of a button, can provide accurate information on body fat, muscle mass, body water based on individual factors such as age, gender, and underlying health conditions. This has improved the ability of nutritionists to provide clients with accurate advice on their health goals.
The BIA machine was donated to Kisumu County Referral Hospital (KCRH) by the Kenya Child Health Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) site. It was officially received by the Chief Officer of Health Dr. Lusi Ojwang, accompanied by the Director of Medical Services Dr Emma Obogi, the County Nutrition Coordinator Mrs Rael Mwando, and nutritionists from health facilities from Kisumu Central Sub County. CHAMPS donated this machine as part of their data-to-action program, because malnutrition has been identified as the leading underlying cause of death for under-fives in Kisumu County. Kisumu County becomes the third county in Kenya, after Nyandarua and Nakuru counties, to harness the power of this cutting edge of medical technology in public health facilities.
“Now we can be able to tell you exactly which part of your body has excess fat; we will tell you your fats exceed the recommended standard by what perimeters and recommendable both dietary and exercise remedies for the specific spot.” Mrs. Rael Mwado pridefully said.
“Beyond just using this machine to advise clients on what to do concerning their health, the BIA will generate data that can be used in research to prove whether several indicators show considerable progress in the management of non-communicable diseases or not.” Janet Agaya of CHAMPS said while presenting the machine.
She added that CHAMPS is looking at holistically reducing mortalities while tackling the cause of the very causes of mortalities.
CHAMPS is employing determined actions as the reduction of mortalities is a vital agenda, abandoning the same will cause tremendous suffering for the populace.
According to statistics from WHO, cardiovascular diseases were the leading causes of mortality accounting for 17.9 million deaths which makes 32% of the population globally in 2019. One-third of the global population which is 33.3% of these mortalities are from low- and middle-income countries while 38% of these are below 70 years of age.
The risk factors leading to cardiovascular diseases are unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption, however, Early detectionis crucial for a favorable prognosis
The BIA uses an electrical method of assessing body composition that has the potential of quantifying, fat mass (FM) which is the amount of fat in the body, Fat-Free Mass (FFM) which is the non-fat components of the body Muscle Mass (MM), amount of skeletal muscle Tissue TotalBody Water (TBW) which provides insights into hydration status and the phase angle (PA) proving information about cellular health and body cell mass.
After feeding your height, date of birth, and gender the machine analyses you and within a minute it measures your level of risk and gives a specific approximation of the level of advancement of conditions like cardiovascular disease.
Once the measurement is complete, the BIA will display various parameters, including body fat percentage, fat-free mass, muscle mass, and total body water. Then the review and interpretation of results are done based on the specific parameters provided by the machine.
The nutritionist will then discuss the results with the person being tested, explaining what each parameter means and how it relates to their body composition and overall health.
Apart from that the machine relies on results to the phone or email address of the client and this allows them to monitor their progress
During the reception meeting, the nutritionists were also taken through training on how to use the BIA machine.
The nutrition unit’s partnership with CHAMPS will shield Kisumu’s populace from the devastating impacts of non-communicable diseases.
With the machine having been set up at KCRH, now what remains is for members of the public to show up and use it.
A good opportunity is to take advantage of the car-free day, on July 8th, and use the machine for free, after wards one will be required to pay a fee.
