All issues > Volume 47(5); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(5):491-495. Published online May 15, 2004.

Correlation between Percentage of Body Fat by BIA and Other Obesity Indices

Su Jin SJ Kim¹, Su Yung SY Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea

Correspondence Su Yung SY Kim ,Email: suyung@pusan.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Obesity is becoming a serious health problem in schoolage children and adolescents. There are several parameters to estimate obesity such as body mass index(BMI), skinfold thickness, obesity index and weight for height. Each parameter has some advantages and disadvantages. Bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA) seems to be a simple, reproducible, objective and cost effective method for fat evaluation. But there are few studies about normal values and effectivenss in children.
Methods
: We measured weight, height, BIA and skinfold thickness(triceps & subscapular) in 1,116 children aged 7-18 years(584 males and 532 females).
Results
: There were statistically high correlations between the percentage of body fat(%BF) measured with BIA and Rohrer index(r=0.041), triceps skinfold thickness(r=0.603), obesity index(r=0.576), subscapular skinfold thickness(r=0.561), BMI(r=0.556) in male. In female, the %BF measured with BIA was highly correlated with BMI(r=0.812), triceps skinfold thickness(r=0.774), subscapular skinfold thickness(r=0.752), obesity index(r=0.735), and Rohrer index(r=0.723). The aging tendency of the %BF measured with BIA was as follows. In males, the percentage of body fat increased steadily until 11 years of age, then decreased afterward. In female, the %BF increased abruptly after 12 years of age until 16 years of age, then slightly decreased afterward.
Conclusion
: Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a useful method of estimating body fat in childhood obesity.

Keywords :Children, Obesity, Analysis, Bioelectrical impedance, Body mass index, Skinfold thickness, Rohrer index, Body, Fat