19th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Comparison of Bioelectric Impedance and Skinfold Estimates of %fat in Untrained College Men and Women
Catriona M. Swift
Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentor
The purpose of this study was to compare %fat estimated from arm-to-arm BIA (AABIA), leg-to-leg BIA (LLBIA), and skinfolds (SKF) among different somatotypes. Untrained college men (n=69) and women (n=111) were measured for %fat using the 3 techniques and somatotype using the Heath-Carter anthropometric technique. A gender by method (2x3) ANOVA with repeated measures over the second factor produced significant main effects for both methods and gender, as well as a significant interaction. LLBIA produced a significantly higher estimate for %fat than AABIA, which was significantly higher than SKF %fat. While this pattern was the same in men and women, the differences between SKF %fat and LLBIA, and between AABIA and LLBIA were significantly greater for women than men. Men had significantly greater differences between SKF %fat and AABIA than women. Different measurement techniques yield significantly different estimates of %fat which could drastically affect estimates of ideal body weight.
Keywords: %fat estimate, arm-to-arm BIA, leg-to-leg BIA, Skinfolds
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 20-2
Location: VH 1000
Time: 10:00