A comparison of bioelectrical impedance analysis and skinfold measurements with Medix DR Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for assessment of body fat percentage

Publication date: Available online 23 April 2019Source: Science & SportsAuthor(s): Y. Wang, R. Nogueira, L.X. FanSummaryObjectivesBody composition can be evaluated using a variety of methods to estimate body fat percentage, but methods tend to vary in precision. The aim of our study is to compare skinfold thickness measurement and bioelectrical impedance analysis to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for the estimation of body fat percentage in healthy adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used to examine and compare body fatness percentage of health adult men and women with three different assessment methods: skinfold thickness measurement (caliper, West Sussex, UK; equations, Jackson and Pollock's and Peterson et al.’s), bioelectrical impedance analysis (Tanita BC 541, Tanita Co., Tokyo, Japan), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Medix DR, Medilink, France).ResultsSixty-eight healthy adults aged 19–73 years (34 ± 14.5 years) participated. Mean body fat percentage assessed by DXA (23.2 ± 5.4%) was much less than the body fat percentage estimated by Skinfold using Peterson et al.’s formula (31.7 ± 6.6%), but the relationship between the two was the strongest (r = 0.903, P = 0.000). Bioelectrical impedance analysis (24.9 ± 8.1%) and Skinfold with J&P's (26.3 ± 9.7%) tended to underestimate DXA-derived body fat percentage in lean and overestimate it in overweight. Body fat percentage pr...
Source: Science and Sports - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research