Assessing the body composition of 6–17-year-old black and white girls in field studies

✍ Scribed by John A. Morrison; Shumei S. Guo; Bonny Specker; WM. Cameron Chumlea; Susan Z. Yanovski; Jack A. Yanovski

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 72 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1042-0533
• DOI: 10.1002/1520-6300(200102/03)13:2<249::aid-ajhb1035>3.0.co;2-6

✦ Synopsis

The purpose of the study was to develop ethnic-specific equations for fat-free mass (FFM) from selected anthropometric dimensions and bioelectrical impedance measures of resistance (R) and reactance (X c ) for use in the NHLBI Growth and Heath Study. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures of body composition as the dependent variable and field measures of body composition by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance as the explanatory variables, ethnicspecific prediction equations were developed on a sample of girls representing a wide range of ages and BMI. The equations were cross-validated using (1) the Prediction of Sum of Squares (PRESS) statistic and (2) an independent sample of 20 girls of each race from a study conducted at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Subjects were 65 White and 61 Black girls 6-17 years of age. The best race-specific equations for FFM each explained 99% and 97% of the variance in the White and Black girls, respectively. Root mean square errors (RMSE) ranged from 1.14 to 1.95 kg. The equation for Black girls used Stature 2 /Resistance (R), weight, and reactance (X c ) as predictor variables; the equation for White girls used Stature 2 /R, weight, and triceps skinfold thickness. The results indicate that (1) equations to predict FFM in girls should be ethnic-specific and that (2) accurate values for TBF and %BF can be calculated from the predicted FFM. Am.