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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
[Best's calipers modified for examinations of obese patients]
V Hainer1, J Parízková, V Stich
1IV. interní katedra I. lékarské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, Praha.
Abstract:
Assessment of the skinfold thickness in obese patients by means of a caliper makes it possible to determine the percentage of total body fat and provides information on the distribution of subcutaneous body fat and thus to characterize the type of obesity. In more severe obesity it is not possible to differentiate reliably by means of classical calipers larger skinfolds, in particular the subscapular and abdominal skinfold which thus makes these anthropometric examinations useless. A newly developed modification of the Best caliper makes it possible to measure reliably the majority of skinfolds in obese subjects as the arm of the caliper can be shifted to a range as high as 90 mm. Best's caliper provides, in contrary to others, the possibility to set a constant pressure when measuring the skinfold. In the discussion the authors draw attention to some methodological problems and the clinical importance of examining obese subjects by means of a caliper.
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