Caucasian children's fat mass: routine anthropometry v. air-displacement plethysmography.

摘要

The present paper will use fat mass percentage (FM%) obtained via BOD PODReg. air-displacement plethysmography (FM_ADP%) to examine the relative validity of (1) anthropometric measurements/indices and (2) of FM% assessed with equations (FM_eq%) based on skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance (BIA). In 480 Belgian children (aged 5 -11 years) weight, height, skinfold thickness (triceps and subscapular), body circumferences (mid-upper arm, waist and hip), foot-to-foot BIA (TanitaReg.) and FM_ADP% were measured. Anthropometric measurements and calculated indices were compared with FM_ADP%. Next, published equations were used to calculate FM_eq% using impedance (equations of TanitaReg., Tyrrell, Shaefer and Deurenberg) or skinfold thickness (equations of Slaughter, Goran, Dezenberg and Deurenberg). Both indices and equations performed better in girls than in boys. For both sexes, the sum of skinfold thicknesses resulted in the highest correlation with FM_ADP%, followed by triceps skinfold, arm fat area and subscapular skinfold. In general, comparing FM_eq% with FM_ADP% indicated mostly an age and sex effect, and an increasing underestimation but less dispersion with increasing FM%. The TanitaReg. impedance equation and the Deurenberg skinfold equation performed the best, although none of the used equations were interchangeable with FM_ADP%. In conclusion, the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness is recommended as marker of FM% in the absence of specialised technologies. Nevertheless, the higher workload, cost and survey management of an immobile device like the BOD PODReg. remains justified.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0