Body Fat Estimation by Anthropometric and Impedance Techniques in Bengalee Females Engaged in Sedentary Work

Abstract

Anthropometry, a simple reliable and widely used method for quantifying body size and estimating fat distribution, is a science that defines physical measures of a person’s size, form and functional capacities. Measurement of body fat percentage using prediction equation is one of the popular methods. Newer techniques are also available for body fat measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis is one of them. But information about the association between these two methods in Indian specifically Bengalee population is scanty. A study was undertaken in this backdrop to estimate body fat using prediction equations and to find out its association with body fat measure obtained using impedance technique. 54 adult Bengalee female individuals, residing in and around Kolkata volunteered for the study. Body fat assessment was carried out on them using both the anthropometric and impedance techniques. It was found that body fat measure obtained from prediction equation had significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation with that using impedance method in case of adult Bengalee females. Further regression modeling has been resorted using the computed coefficient of correlation and subsequently the validity of the model has been tested.