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Estimation of body fat in Caucasian and African-American girls: total-body electrical conductivity methodology versus a four-component model

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1200–1206 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been increasing dramatically in recent years among children, particularly African-American girls. Total-body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) is a simple way to measure body fat with minimal risk.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the agreement between the percentage of fat mass (%FM) predicted using two TOBEC equations with %FM measured by a four-component model in 73 Caucasian and 41 African-American girls.

DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: %FM predicted using the TOBEC equations was compared with %FM from the four-component model based on measurements of body density, body water and bone mineral content.

RESULTS: Analyses by linear regression analysis and by the Bland and Altman methods comparison procedure showed that the equation using the square root of the TOBEC zero-order Fourier coefficient and the subject's height yielded more accurate and more reproducible %FM, regardless of race, than the TOBEC linear equation, which was based on the zero-, first- and second-order Fourier coefficients. The Bland and Altman comparison further revealed that the accuracy and limits of agreement of the TOBEC linear equation were related to body fatness among the Caucasian girls. The relationship, however, disappeared when prepubescent girls and a girl with low %FM were excluded from the analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: The TOBEC square root equation with adjustment for body geometry and length is recommended for use in adolescent girls, as it yielded better agreement with the criterion method. However, further validation of the TOBEC instrumentation for estimating body fat in prepubescent children and children with low body fat is warranted.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the volunteers; to the staff of the Metabolic Research Unit at the Children's Nutrition Research Center, for meeting the needs of the subjects during the study; to Drs A Hergenroeder and R Hill for performing the physical examination to determine Tanner stages of sexual maturity; to Dr J Hoyle in the Pediatrics Department of Kelsey-Seybold West Clinic, Dr M desVignes-Kendrick, director of the City of Houston Health and Human Services Department, Ms X Earlie, director of sciences of the Aldine Independent School District, Ms S Wooten, principal of the Teague Middle School, Dr B Shargey, dean of instruction, Ms CC Collins, principal at the High School for Health Professions and Ms K Wallace for subject recruitment; Mr M Puyau and Mr FA Vohra, for the underwater weighing measurements; Mr R Shypailo and Ms J Joe for the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements; Mrs L Clarke, Mr S Zhang and Ms K Usuki for the isotope ratio mass spectrometric measurements; and Ms L Loddeke, for editorial assistance in the preparation of the manuscript. This work was funded in part with federal funds from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Research Service under Cooperative Agreement no 58-6250-6-001.

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  1. Department of Pediatrics, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center and Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 77030, TX, USA

    WW Wong, JE Stuff, NF Butte, EO Smith & KJ Ellis

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  1. WW Wong
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Correspondence to WW Wong.

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Wong, W., Stuff, J., Butte, N. et al. Estimation of body fat in Caucasian and African-American girls: total-body electrical conductivity methodology versus a four-component model. Int J Obes 24, 1200–1206 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801369

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