[Hydrostatic weighing, skinfold thickness, body mass index relationships in high school girls]

A study was conducted to evaluate body composition by hydrostatic weighing, skinfold thickness, and body mass index (BMI) in 102 senior high school girls, aged 15 to 18 in Nagasaki City. Body density measured by the underwater weighing method, was used to determine the fat weight (Fat) and lean body mass (LBM. or fat free weight: FFW) utilizing the formulas by Brozek et al. The results were as follows; 1. Mean values of body density were 1.04428 in the first grade girls, 1.04182 in the second grade, and 1.04185 in the third grade. 2. Mean values of percentage body fat (%Fat) were 23.5% in the first grade, 24.5% in the second and 24.5% in the third. 3. Percentage body fat (%Fat), lean body mass (LBM) and LBM/Height were not significantly with different advance of grade from the first to the third. 4. The correlation coefficients between percent body fat and the sum of two skinfold thicknesses, the sum of three skinfold thicknesses and the sum of seven skinfold thicknesses was 0.78, 0.79, and 0.80 respectively and were all statistically significant (p < 0.001). 5. The correlation coefficients between BMI and the sum of two skinfold thicknesses, the sum of three skinfold thicknesses and the sum of seven skinfold thicknesses was 0.74, 0.74, and 0.74 respectively and were all statistically significant (p < 0.001). 6. Mean values of BMI, Rohrer index and waist-hip ratio (WHR) in all subjects (n = 102) were 20.3, 128.2 and 0.72 respectively.