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

OBJECTIVE: To develop equations, from some simple anthropometric measurements, for the prediction of body density from underwater weighing in male spanish children and adolescents. SUBJECTS: One hundred and seventy-five males, aged 7.0-16.9 y, participated in this study, they were recruited from primary and secondary schools. MEASUREMENTS: Body weight and height and skinfold thicknesses by anthropometry, body density by underwater weighing. RESULTS: Correlations between body density and body mass index (BMI) were high until 14.0-16.9y. Correlations between body density and log sigma 4 skinfolds were higher than those with BMI at all ages. Log sigma 4 skinfolds explained between 61% (14.0-16.9 y) and 68% (11.0-13.9 y) of the body density variance. Regression equations for body density from BMI and triceps skinfold thickness explained between 51% (14.0-16.9y) and 68% (7.0-10.9 y) of the body density variance. CONCLUSIONS: The best estimators of body density in the children and adolescents studied were log sigma 4 skinfolds and a combination of BMI and triceps skinfold.

[Body composition in boys and young males]. / Composición corporal en niños y en jóvenes del sexo masculino.

The fat content from density, in 189 boys and young men, aged 8-23, has been determined in two ways: skinfold and underwater weighing. Since the residual volume was calculated theoretically, a comparative study has been made with the results obtained by each of the three different formulas given by Allen, Weng and Solymar. The possible relationship between density and other indexes such as relative body weight and body mass index has also been examined.

[Measurement technic of tissue resistance in electrocardiography]. / Técnica de medida de las resistencias tisulares en electrocardiografía.

The determination of tissue resistances between electrical heart activity and the surface distal electrodes in order to obtain one point with nonexistent potential, has been sought by means of the introduction of one external resistance previously fixed, and connected to an ECG transducer. The potential changes originated will be directly proportional to the value of the added resistance; some simultaneous equations have been established to obtain the resistance values from the heart to the distal electrodes.

Body mass index, triceps skinfold and waist circumference in screening for adiposity in male children and adolescents.

UNLABELLED: Simple anthropometric measurements and indices are the most commonly used tools for assessing body composition. Only a few papers have examined the sensitivity and specificity of the body mass index (BMI) against total body fat percentage (TBF%) from underwater weighing in children and adolescents. The objective of the study was to evaluate the screening performance of BMI, triceps skinfold thickness and waist circumference for excess TBF%. A total of 175 healthy volunteer males, aged 7.0-16.9 y, participated in the study. TBF% was measured using underwater weighing as the reference method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the value of the three anthropometric measurements as a screening measure for total adiposity. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated at several percentile cut-offs for BMI, triceps skinfold and waist circumference. The areas under the ROC curves were also calculated, and were 0.86 for BMI, 0.90 for triceps skinfold and 0.88 for waist circumference. The point on the ROC curve closest to 1 corresponded to the 70th percentile for BMI, to the 75th percentile for triceps skinfold, and to the 70th percentile for waist circumference. CONCLUSION: BMI, triceps skinfold and waist circumference predicted total fat content well in male children and adolescents.