Several different instruments available on the market have been used for the estimation of body fat. However, many of these instruments have not been compared with reference criteria to verify their true accuracy. This study aimed to verify the validity of a bioelectrical impedance scale (OMRON-514C) for the estimation of body fat. Forty-four overweight adolescents (25 females) participated in this study, with an average age of 12.3 ± 1.1 years. All were submitted to body fat evaluations by air displacement plethysmography and bioelectrical impedance. Higher values of relative and absolute body fat were estimated by bioelectrical impedance compared to plethysmography (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between the relative body fat measurements between the two methods (r = 0.185; p = 0.228). The absolute measurements of body fat were correlated (r = 0.497, p = 0.001). Both in the measurements of relative (p= 0.034) and absolute body fat (p = 0.021), the bioelectrical impedance overestimated the measured values. Thus, in adolescents with characteristics similar to the present study, the estimate of body fat by the bioelectrical impedance (OMRON-514C) should be used with caution.Keywords: plethysmography, bioelectrical impedance, adolescents, overweight.
Objective: Assess the agreement and validity between relative body fat percentages estimated using anthropometric measurements and air displacement plethysmography (ADP). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 adolescents (60 females) aged 10 to 14 years (x̄=12.19, sd=1.18). Adolescents were classified as eutrophic or with overweight according to body mass index (body weight/height2) (x̄=20,12, sd=3,56). Measurements of skinfold thickness (triceps and medial calf) were collected and used to estimate relative body fat by the Slaughter equation. ADP was used as a reference method for the estimation of relative body fat. Agreement between body fat measurement methods (anthropometry × ADP) was analyzed by the Bland–Altman method. The mean error (ME) was calculated by subtracting the body fat percentage estimated by the Slaughter equation from the body fat percentage estimated by ADP. Validity was tested with the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Results: There was no agreement between the methods, regardless of sex and weight status. For boys with overweight (ME = 4.52; p = 0.007), eutrophic girls (ME = 6.37; p < 0.001), and girls with overweight (ME = 5.55; p < 0.001), the Slaughter equation resulted in overestimation of body fat compared with ADP. Skinfold equations did not demonstrate validity when compared with ADP. Conclusion: Slaughter's skinfold equations did not demonstrate agreement and validity compared with ADP in either sex or weight status. Skinfold equations should be used with caution and, whenever possible, in combination with other body composition indicators.
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