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Summary

Recumbent anthropometry offers precision comparable to standing measures, particularly for abdominal sagittal diameter. However, suprailiac skinfold measurements show lower precision in the recumbent position for both sexes.

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Area of Science:

  • Anthropometry
  • Human physiology
  • Obesity research

Background:

  • Recumbent anthropometric measures are sometimes preferred over standing measures.
  • Limited data exists on the precision of recumbent anthropometry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the interobserver precision of recumbent anthropometric measurements.
  • To compare the precision of recumbent versus standing anthropometry.

Main Methods:

  • Four trained nurses measured 22 men and 29 women (35-64 years) using 14 recumbent anthropometric techniques.
  • Measurements included abdominal sagittal diameter, calf girth, upper arm girth, and suprailiac skinfold.
  • Standing waist and hip girths were also measured for comparison.

Main Results:

  • Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for recumbent measures varied, with high precision for calf girth (98.5% men, 95.8% women) and abdominal sagittal diameter (95.8% men, 96.3% women).
  • Suprailiac skinfold precision was lower (56.2% men, 67.0% women) in the recumbent position compared to standing.
  • Recumbent hip girth was significantly smaller (3.8 cm) than standing hip girth, while recumbent waist girth was only slightly larger (0.3 cm).

Conclusions:

  • Recumbent anthropometry can achieve precision levels similar to standing anthropometry.
  • Suprailiac skinfold measurements exhibit lower precision in the recumbent position.
  • Waist-to-hip girth ratios derived from recumbent measurements may lead to higher estimates of abdominal obesity prevalence.