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Prediction of body fat content in an inuit community
Author(s) -
Rode Andris,
Shephard Roy J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.1310060214
Subject(s) - content (measure theory) , hum , food science , zoology , geography , biology , history , mathematics , mathematical analysis , performance art , art history
Abstract The age‐ and sex‐specific generic predictions of body density, and thus body fat content, as obtained by the skinfold equations of Durnin and Womersley (1974, Br J Nutr 32:77–97) have been compared with direct hydrostatic estimates of body density in a sample of 51 moderately acculturated Canadian Inuit men, ages 18–36 years. In general, the Durnin and Womersley equations indicate somewhat too high a body density and thus too low a percentage of body fat relative to the hydrostatic data; the error amounts to 1–3% body fat, depending on the age and the skinfold thicknesses of the subject. Possible explanations of the discrepancy include (1) a low bone density, (2) a high muscle/bone mass ratio, or (3) a high ratio of internal to superficial body fat. Specific rather than generic equations would seem necessary for the accurate prediction of body fat content from skinfold readings in the Inuit, although continuing acculturation to a sedentary lifestyle currently hampers the development of generalizable equations for this population. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.