Skinfold thickness measurements in obese subjects

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Anthropometry
• Body Composition Analysis

Background:

• Accurate body composition assessment is crucial for health and disease management.
• Skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance are common, non-invasive methods for estimating body fat.
• Limitations in these methods, particularly in diverse populations, necessitate validation studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of skinfold thickness measurements for body composition assessment.
• To compare the accuracy of skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance against established methods.
• To identify potential biases in these methods, especially in obese individuals.

Main Methods:

• Measurements included skinfold thicknesses, bioelectrical impedance, body density (underwater weighing), and total body water (deuterium dilution).
• Study included 105 healthy adults with a wide range of body fatness (2.9%–61.2%).
• A significant number of obese subjects were included to assess method performance across the body fat spectrum.

Main Results:

• Correlations between body fat from skinfold equations and underwater weighing were comparable to those from impedance and underwater weighing.
• Both skinfold equations and bioelectrical impedance tended to underestimate body fat in the most obese subjects.
• In obese individuals, inadequate caliper size limited the ability to measure skinfold thicknesses accurately.

Conclusions:

• Skidfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance show similar accuracy to each other but may underestimate body fat in obesity.
• The accuracy of these methods is compromised in obese individuals due to measurement challenges.
• Further research is needed to refine body composition assessment techniques for obese populations.