Validity of anthropometric equation-based estimators of fat mass in Samoan adults

In 1999, a set of highly accurate Polynesian-specific equations to estimate adult body fat from non-invasive field measures of age, sex, height, and weight (Equation 1), age, sex, height, weight, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) resistance (Equation 2), and age, sex, height, weight, and the sum of two skinfold thicknesses (Equation 3) were published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the equation-based estimators in a sample of Samoan adults recruited 20 years later between 2017 and 2019.

Age, sex, height, weight, BIA resistance, skinfold thickness, and fat mass as measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were available for 432 Samoan adults (mean age 50.9 years, 56% female) seen in 2017/2019. We compared equation-derived fat mass and DXA-derived fat mass using scatterplots and Pearson correlation coefficients. We then updated the equation coefficient estimates in a training set (2/3 of the sample) and evaluated the performance of the updated equations in a testing set (the remaining 1/3 of the sample).

Equation-derived fat mass was strongly correlated with DXA-derived fat mass for Equation (1) (r²  = 0.95, n = 432), Equation (2) (r²  = 0.97, n = 425), and Equation (3) (r²  = 0.95, n = 426). Updating the equation coefficient estimates resulted in mostly similar coefficients and nearly identical testing set performance for Equation (1) (r²  = 0.96, n = 153), Equation (2) (r²  = 0.98, n = 150), and Equation (3) (r²  = 0.96, n = 150).

The Polynesian-specific body fat estimation equations remained stable despite changing social and environmental factors and marked increase in obesity prevalence in Samoa.