BodyCalc Pitch

The BodyCalc application was developed with several goals in mind:

1. Provide an online repository for Body Mass Calculations
2. Provide a dynamic interface that customized the user interface based on calculation selection
3. Displayed the results of the selected Body Mass calculation using the supplied input parameters

There are a number of calculations available to provide an estimate of a body mass index. This index represents an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass in an individual and then categorize the individual as a member of a broad population based on this value.

Concerns have been identified as to the effectiveness of using the basic BMI and a number of alternative approaches have been identified.

A number of approaches have been implemented and are accessible to provide for direct comparisons:

1. Body Mass Index
2. Body Mass Index Prime
3. A Body Shaped Index
4. Surface-based Body Shape Index

BodyCalc Data

No external data is required to facilitate BodyCalc operation.

Once a calculation type is selected the interface is dynamically customized to capture relevant data which includes variously:

1. Height in meters
2. Weight in kilograms
3. Waist circumference in meters
4. Body Surface area
5. Vertical Trunk Circumference

BodyCalc Calculations

calculators <-  c("Body Mass Index",
                  "Body Mass Index Prime",
                  "A Body Shape Index",
                  "Surface-based Body Shape Index"
          )

A total of 4 Body Mass Calculators have been implemented. These are:

1. BMI

The ratio of a persons height to their mass squared. \[ BMI = weight / height ^ 2 \]

2. BMI Prime

BMI Prime is a modification of the BMI system and is the ratio of actual BMI to upper limit BMI (currently defined at BMI 25)

\[ \begin{aligned} BMI' = (weight / height ^ 2) / 25 \end{aligned} \]

3. ABSI

An index which defines body composition through waist circumference adjusted for weight and height.

\[ \begin{aligned} absi &= wc / ( BMI^\frac{2}{3} * \sqrt height )\\ wc &= waist\ circumference\ in\ meters\\ BMI &= Body\ Mass\ Index\\ \end{aligned} \]

4. SBSI

An index which defines body composition through surface area adjusted for weight and height.

\[ \begin{aligned} sbsi &= (height^\frac{7}{4} * wc^\frac{5}{6} / (bsa * vtc)\\ wc &= waist\ circumference\ in\ meters\\ bsa &= body\ surface\ area\\ vtc &= vertical\ trunk\ circumference\\ \end{aligned} \]

Links

The app developed for the first part of the assignment is avalilable at: https://djdgalbraith.shinyapps.io/BodyCalc/

Source code for ui.R and server.R files are available on GitHub: https://github.com/djdgalbraith/cjhdss/tree/master/Developing%20Data%20Products/Project/

Source for the Rstudio Presenter pitch is available on GitHub: https://github.com/djdgalbraith/cjhdss/tree/master/Developing%20Data%20Products/Project/Pitch/BodyMassCalculatorsPitch.Rpres

The presentation can be viewed on RPub: http://rpubs.com/djdgalbraith/BodyCalc/

References

1. Wikipedia Body Mass Index
2. A New Body Shape Index Predicts Mortality Hazard Independently of Body Mass Index
3. Surface-Based Body Shape Index and Its Relationship with All-Cause Mortality