Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41285684›Full record

ArticleObesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity2026

A Scoping Review of Instruments Used to Measure Weight and Body Composition in Infants Under 1 Year.

Reindolf Anokye, Moira Duffy, Eibhlin Looney, Catherine S Birken, Vicki Brown, Darren Dahly, Ann S Doherty, Dimity Dutch, Rebecca K Golley, Catherine Hayes and 8 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. A Scoping Review of Instruments Used to Measure Weight and Body Composition in Infants Under 1 Year.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Reindolf AnokyeSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Moira DuffySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Eibhlin LooneySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0009-0001-8832-360X
Catherine S BirkenSickkids Research Institute and the Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Vicki BrownDeakin Health Economics, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Darren DahlySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Ann S DohertyDepartment of General Practice, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Dimity DutchCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Rebecca K GolleyCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Catherine HayesSchool of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Brittany J JohnsonCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5492-9219
Patricia Leahy-WarrenSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-4443-4471
Marian McBrideHealth & Wellbeing, Strategy & Research, Healthcare Strategy, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland.
Elizabeth McCarthySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-8712-0894
Andrew W MurphyHealth Research Board Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Sarah RedsellSchool of Health Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Caroline B TerweeAmsterdam UMC, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Karen Matvienko-SikarSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

Funding

EPOCH-Translate Centre for Research Excellence GNT2006999Health Research Board Emerging Investigator Award HRB-EIA-2022-005Hospital Research Foundation Early-Mid Career Fellowship
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis scoping review identified existing outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) for weight and body composition in children ≤ 1 year of age and how they are used in clinical trials. This information will improve outcome selection in future trials.

methodsWe searched the EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO up to September 2023, previous reviews, and the TOPCHILD collaboration registry. Screening was conducted independently in duplicate. We included studies reporting trials including healthy, full-term infants ≤ 1 year of age reporting at least one weight, weight gain, and/or body composition OMI. Study and OMI characteristics were synthesized narratively.

resultsSeventy-two studies were included. Reported outcomes included weight (n = 71), changes in weight (n = 33), and body composition (n = 10). Six OMIs were used to measure infant weight, with undefined (n = 19) and electronic (n = 15) scales being the most common. Results for weight were mostly expressed as z scores relative to a population reference (n = 50). Five OMIs were used to assess infant weight gain, most frequently undefined weighing scales (n = 8) and electronic scales (n = 7), with results mostly expressed as changes in z scores relative to a population reference (n = 10). Eight body composition OMIs were identified; calipers (n = 5) and air displacement plethysmography (n = 3) were most commonly used. Body composition was predominantly presented as fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) in kg (n = 5). OMIs were mostly administered in person by researchers, clinicians, or healthcare practitioners.

conclusionsGiven the heterogeneity identified in this review, research is needed to select standardized, feasible, and reliable OMIs for infant anthropometric outcomes in trials.

Indexed as

Body CompositionBody WeightHumansInfantInfant, NewbornWeight Gainanthropometricsbody compositionchildhood obesityoutcome measurement instrumentsweightweight gain

Identifiers

PMID41285684
PMCPMC12926620

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.