Comparative analysis of measuring the body fat percentage by anthropometric methods and bioimpedanc

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Body fat percentage (BFP) is the most reliable indicator of a nutritional status. For clinical practice it is important but scarcely investigated whether to exclusively use contemporary methods of BFP measurement, or classic anthropometric methods are also reliable. The aim was to investigate the correlation between the results of BFP measuring using a contemporary method of bioimpedance (Bio) and classic methods of skin fold thickness (SFT) and body mass index (BMI). Method There were 279 patients of the Dietetic Counseling Center of the Institute for Public Health in Niš who were included in the research during 2015. Body fat percentage was determined using three classic anthropometric methods of ST over the triceps, and the scapula and BMI. Apparatus OMRON BF 302 was used for BFP measuring with bioimpedance method. Results Using a one factorial analysis of variance we found a statistically significant difference between the mean values of the BFP obtained with bioimpedance and with anthropometric methods (F = 24.19, p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the BFP determined with bioimpedance and SFT over the triceps and the scapula, while the anthropometric method based on BMI gave the results similar to those from bioimpedance. Conclusion We show that the most reliable anthropometric method of determination of BFP is that based on BMI, as its results correlate best with those obtained with a contemporary method of bioimpedance