A Comparison of Equations and Methods for Determining Percentage Body Fat

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to assess the differences between various equations and devices for estimating body fat percentage. Valid estimation of body fat is an important variable in determining the individual differences in energy expenditure or physical work capacities of workers performing various tasks. Twenty male volunteers participated in this study. Results indicate that no significant differences exist between device type. However, there were significant differences between derived estimations of body fat content with several widely used equations. These results were also related to estimation of body fat content derived from the bioelectrical impedance procedure. Results from this study indicate the need for comparison between subject population and population of prediction models before determining body fat and possible use of an average of several equations.

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