Nutrition
Volume 24, Issue 2 , Pages 148-154, February 2008

Interaction of clothing and body mass index affects validity of air-displacement plethysmography in adults

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA

Received 20 July 2007; accepted 30 October 2007. published online 10 December 2007.

Abstract 

Objective

We determined the effect of clothing type on the validity of air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) to estimate percentage of body fat (%BF) and ascertain if these effects differ by body mass index (BMI).

Methods

The %BF by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and %BF, density, and body volume by ADP were assessed in 132 healthy adults classified by normal (N; 18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (OW; 25–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (OB; 30–39.9 kg/m2) BMIs.

Results

Compared with DXA, ADP underestimated (P < 0.0001) %BF from scrubs (SC) and t-shirt/shorts (TS) in N (11.4%; 8.6%) and OW (6.8%; 4.9%) BMI groups, respectively. ADP compared with DXA overestimated (P < 0.0006) %BF in the OW group (1.2%), but underestimated (P < 0.0001) it in the N group (2.4%). ADP also overestimated (P < 0.006) %BF in the OB group wearing spandex (SP; 4.8%), but not in those wearing SC (0.7%; P = 0.10) and TS (0.5%; P = 0.22) versus DXA.

Conclusion

All three clothing types showed significant error in estimating %BF with ADP compared with DXA in N and OW BMI. Use of spandex provided the least error and is the preferred attire to obtain valid body composition results when testing N and OW subjects. However, SP provided the greatest error in the OB group. Error in ADP %BF in OB was minimal in SC and TS and similar to the within-subject variability in %BF estimates with ADP. Thus, TS and SC are acceptable alternatives to SP in adults with excess body weight.

Keywords: Dual x-ray absorptiometry, Percent body fat, Body volume, Body density

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

 Mention of a trademark or proprietary product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that also may be suitable. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research, Northern Plains Area is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all agency services are available without discrimination.

PII: S0899-9007(07)00321-8

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2007.10.015

Nutrition
Volume 24, Issue 2 , Pages 148-154, February 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution