37th Annual Student Research Conference
Reliability of Diagnostic Ultrasound and Skinfold Measurements Between Different Investigators
Allison N. Payne♦* and Alexis Hassler♦
Dr. Jerry Mayhew and Dr. Brandy Schneider, Faculty Mentors
Skinfold calipers are the most commonly used method for measuring body composition due to their size and price along with proven reliability. Diagnostic ultrasound is becoming increasingly popular for measuring subcutaneous fat because it is cheaper than other systems and multipurpose. The accuracy of it is debated, however. The purpose of this study was to assess the inter-rater reliability of ultrasound compared to skinfold. Women (n=7) and men (n=10) were measured for body fat by skinfold and ultrasound at four sites. Three trials by each tester were averaged for comparison. Testers were not significantly different in the measurement of any site using ultrasound, and were only significantly different at the biceps for skinfold. This shows that ultrasound can be a reliable way to measure body fat even without extensive training. Further analysis may be warranted to compare each technique to a standard such as DEXA.
Keywords: Skinfold, Diagnostic ultrasound, Body composition
Topic(s):Athletic Training
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 205-3
Location: SUB 3201
Time: 11:00
♦ Indicates Truman Graduate Student