Skinfold thickness measurements are better predictors of body fat percentage than body mass index in male Spanish children and adolescents

Sarrı́a, Antonio; García-Llop, L A; Moreno, Luís A.; Fleta, J; Morellón, M P; Bueno, Manuel

doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600606

Cited by 118 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…For groups, as other authors have recommended (Reilly et al, 1995;Wong et al, 2000;Moreno et al, 2003), skinfold thickness equations may be used when a relative index of fatness is required rather than high accuracy measures of body composition. Skinfold thickness measurements are better predictors of body fat percentage than other simple anthropometric variables or ratios such as the BMI (Sarría et al, 1998). In our study, Slaughter et al (1988) and Brook (1971) equations showed the lowest error and biases were not dependent on body fat.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…There are a group of logarithmic (Durnin & Rahaman, 1967;Brook, 1971;Durnin & Womersley, 1974;Johnston et al, 1988;Deurenberg et al, 1990;Sarría et al, 1998) and linear equations (Sloan et al, 1962;Wilmore & Behnke, 1970) that predict the body density first, and then %FM from body density with any of the equations performed by Siri (1961), Lohman et al (1984) and Weststrate and Deurenberg (1989). Other groups of quadratic (Slaughter et al, 1988) and linear (Slaughter et al, 1988;Lean et al, 1996;Bray et al, 2001) equations predict %FM directly from skinfold thicknesses.…”

Section: Anthropometric Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The quantity of body fat mass and its distribution pattern are influenced by gender and pubertal development stage, more than by age. In spite of this fact, few %FM prediction equations from skinfold thickness have been performed specifically for adolescents (Durnin & Rahaman, 1967;Durnin & Womersley, 1974;Slaughter et al, 1988;Deurenberg et al, 1990;Sarría et al, 1998), and their validation against reference methods has been tested only in prepubertal children (Reilly et al, 1995;Wells et al, 1999;Bray et al, 2002;Parker et al, 2003) and in a group of female adolescents (Wong et al, 2000). The purpose of the present study was to compare the most commonly used equations for prediction of body fatness from skinfold thickness, in male and female adolescents, assessing their degree of agreement with %FM measured using DXA as reference method.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Body fat measurement in adolescents: comparison of skinfold thickness equations with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Rodrı́guez

Moreno

Blay³

et al. 2005

Eur J Clin Nutr

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192

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Objective: To compare the most commonly used equations to predict body fatness from skinfold thickness, in male and female adolescents, with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a reference method of fatness measurement. Design: Cross-sectional nutrition survey. Setting: General adolescent population from Zaragoza (Spain). Subjects and methods: A total of 238 Caucasian adolescents (167 females and 113 males), aged 13.0-17.9 y, were recruited from 15 school groups in 11 public and private schools. The percentage fat mass (%FM) was calculated by using skinfoldthickness equations. Predicted %FM was compared with the reference %FM values, measured by DXA. The lack of agreement between methods was assessed by calculating the bias and its 95% limits of agreement.Results: Most equations did not demonstrate good agreement compared with DXA. However, in male adolescents, Slaughter et al equations showed relative biases that were not dependent on body fatness and the limits of agreement were narrower than those obtained from the rest of equations. In females, Brook's equation showed nonsignificant differences against DXA and the narrowest 95% limits of agreement. Only biases from Brook and Slaughter et al equations were not dependent on body fatness in female adolescents. Conclusions: Accuracy of most of the skinfold-thickness equations for assessment of %FM in adolescents was poor at the individual level. Nevertheless, to predict %FM when a relative index of fatness is required in field or clinical studies, Slaughter et al equations may be used in adolescents from both sexes and the Brook equation in female adolescents. Sponsorship: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Anthropometric Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Body fat measurement in adolescents: comparison of skinfold thickness equations with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Rodrı́guez

Moreno

Blay³

et al. 2005

Eur J Clin Nutr

Self Cite

192

165

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although its validity across diverse samples of youth from different age, sex and ethnic groups has not been evaluated, it is used widely because of the relative ease and accuracy of the basic measurements (Malina and Katzmarzyk, 1999). Several studies have focused on validation of various anthropometric measures for assessing fatness and seem to recommend mostly BMI (Dietz and Bellizzi, 1999) and TSFT (Deurenberg et al, 1990;Sarria et al, 1998). Our observations show that prevalence of overweight children differs greatly with different indicators and it was lowest using TSFT cutoff but highest using percent body fat cutoff, in both sexes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood pressure among overweight adolescents from urban school children in Pune, India

2006

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Objectives: To examine the magnitude of overweight and its association with blood pressure (BP) among adolescents. Design: Cross-sectional study with all children in age range 9-16 years (n ¼ 1146 boys and 1077 girls) from two schools catering to urban affluent high socio-economic class (HSE), for anthropometric measurements by trained investigators and BP measurement by a pediatrician using sphygmomanometer. Results: The prevalence of overweight based on conventional body mass index (BMI) cutoff was 27.5% for boys and 20.9% for girls but varied for different indicators. Prevalence of high systolic blood pressure (HSBP) was 12.0% in boys and 9.7% in girls and increased with increasing levels of BMI, weight, triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) and percent body fat. Mean level of SBP among overweight children was significantly (Po0.001) higher by about 12 mm Hg, whereas that for diastolic blood pressure was higher by 8 mm Hg (Po0.001) as compared to their non-overweight (age, sex-matched) counterparts. This was true in both sexes and for all indicators used for assessing overweight. Prevalence of HSBP increased suddenly beyond BMI value of 20 kg/m 2 in boys and 21.5 kg/m 2 in girls, beyond TSFT value of 12 mm for boys and 14 mm for girls whereas such cutoffs for body fat were above 25% in both sexes. These cutoffs appear much lower than the conventional ones and therefore indicate the need for validation of conventional cutoffs in different populations. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that BP measurement needs to be a routine part of physical examination in school children, and the use of cutoffs anchored to metabolic risks may be essential for assessment of obesity.

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“…In our study we have found that at the beginning of puberty the variables weight, height and BMI are more closely related to chronological age than to maturational stage. However, the BMI, which is widely used as an expression of adiposity (Guillaume, 1999) because its two components (weight and height) are more frequently measured than skinfold thickness, does not re¯ect the difference between the compartments of body composition (Sarrõ Âa et al, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Puberty begins with a characteristic subcutaneous body fat mass in each sex

2000

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Objective: To observe whether there exists a characteristic body fat mass at pubertal onset. Design: Longitudinal clinical follow-up (between ages of 10 and 15 y) with an annual visit in a sample of 469 children. They were grouped according to age of purbertal onset: boys with pubertal onset at the ages of 11 (n 59), 12 (n 88), 13 n 89) and 14 y (n 46), and girls with pubertal onset at the age of 10 (n 68), 11 (n 66), 12 (n 37) and 13 (n 16). Methods: Height, weight, upper arm circumference and four skinfold thicknesses were recorded annually. In boys testicular volume index was measured, and genital development was assessed on the Tanner scale; in girls mammary development was measured also using the Tanner scale. The sum of four skinfolds, body mass index, upper arm fat estimate and percentage body fat were calculated. Results: Boys presented a positive relation between the age of pubertal onset and body mass index (P`0.001), which was not observed in girls. Body mass index thus varied according to the onset of puberty in boys (P`0.001), but not in girls. The sum of four skinfolds, the upper arm fat estimate index and the percentage of body fat mass did not differ according to age of pubertal onset either in girls (P NS) or in boys (P NS). The characteristic adiposity of the puberty onset is progressively acquired during the previous years in all the groups. Conclusions: Puberty seems to begin with a characteristic subcutaneous body fat mass that is independent of the age of onset. This study supports the hypothesis of a close link between maturation and the development of an energy store in the form of adipose tissue in both sexes. Descriptors: body fat mass; onset of puberty; skinfolds

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Skinfold thickness measurements are better predictors of body fat percentage than body mass index in male Spanish children and adolescents

Cited by 118 publications

References 17 publications

Body fat measurement in adolescents: comparison of skinfold thickness equations with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Body fat measurement in adolescents: comparison of skinfold thickness equations with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Blood pressure among overweight adolescents from urban school children in Pune, India

Puberty begins with a characteristic subcutaneous body fat mass in each sex

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