Subjective Evaluation of Female Adult Body Fat Distribution: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Anthropometry
• Body Composition Analysis

Background:

• Body fat distribution is crucial for assessing obesity-related disease risk.
• Objective anthropometric measurements are limited by variability, cost, and expertise.
• Subjective methods, common in body image research, are underutilized for health risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize subjective body shape assessment tools for regional body fat distribution in adult females.
• To evaluate the availability and application of these tools for health-related risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review of five databases was conducted.
• Search terms focused on body shape and assessment tools, limited to adult females.
• 177 studies were included, reporting on 80 distinct tools.

Main Results:

• A variety of subjective tools were identified, including figural, photographic, and silhouette types.
• Most tools (73.4%) were used for body image purposes, with only 18.1% for health/disease risk.
• Limited cultural adaptation and inclusivity were noted, with most tools depicting White ethnicity.

Conclusions:

• Numerous subjective body shape assessment tools are available, but their application for obesity-related disease risk is limited.
• Further research is required to refine, culturally adapt, and validate these tools for accurate health risk assessment.