Comparison Of Measurement And Assessment Methods Of Body Fats: A Study Of Campus-living Students 19-22 Years Of Age

Objective:The study sets dual energy X-ray absorptiometry(DEXA) as the gold standard, aiming at comparing the percentage of body fat come from three different methods, which are skinfold fat thickness, bioelectric impedance analysis(BIA) and body mass index(BMI), exploring the distribution characteristic of body fat of college students at different age and sex, and researching into the variation of percentage of body fat of college students by different methods and their correlation. The study is going to figure out the proper method of assessment and prediction equation of 19-22 year-old college students'body fat mass and percentage that are simple, valid and accurate, and to provide the technique support for the adults and the elder in the following research.Subjects and MethodsThe study selected 170 college students aged 19-22y (69males and 101 females)as the subjects, assured that each age have four bodytypes by calculating BMI. The body composition of each subject was measured by BIA, DEXA, skinfold fat thickness and girth measurement. The data was processed by statistics method, including correlation analysis, regression analysis and consistency test.Conclusion1 The body fat distribution differs among different bodytype. As the bodytype increasing, percentage of body fat, girth and skinfold fat thickness in both male and female students increase too. The increments differs, and the trunk, especially the abdominal region is where the body fat mass increases the most. 2 Female students have more body fat mass than males. Compared to females, males are more likely to accumulate fat in trunk, whereas females'fat distributes heterogeneously in trunk and limbs.3 To assess the fat level by BMI is not accurate, it overestimates the fat level of males but underestimates females. Assessing fat level by waist circumference criterion is valid for male college students but might underestimate the females.4 The percentage of body fat by BIA and the former skin-fold fat thickness predictive equation and the result by DEXA has good correlation, but the measured value and real value has discrepancy and that needs attention when using.5 This study predicts the college students'percentage of body fat by simple morphological parameters and skinfold. fat thickness, the prediction equations have fairly good validity and reliability, they are as follows:Male:percentage of body fat=-6.281+1.744×BMIpercentage of body fat=-2.452+0.216×abodominal skinfold+0.464×thigh skinfold+0.215×suprailiac skinfoldFemale:percentage of body fat=-42.152+0.761×waist circumferencePercentage of body fat=10.644+0.332×subscapular skinfold+0.275×calf skinfold+0.184×suprailiac skinfold...