Abstract:
Attempts have been made to estimate body fat using anthropometry, and most of them are country-specific. 'is study was
designed to develop and cross-validate anthropometric predictive equations to estimate the total body fat percentage (TBFP) of Sri
Lankan adult women. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Galle, Sri Lanka, with two groups: Group A (group for equation
development) and Group B (cross-validation group) (n � 175 each) of randomly selected healthy adult women aged 30–60 years.
TBFP (%) was quantified with total body DXA (TBFPDXA). Height (m), weight (kg), and skinfold thickness (SFT, mm) at six sites
and circumferences (cm) at five sites were measured. In the first step, four anthropometric equations were developed based on the
data obtained from multiple regression analyses (TBFPDXA � dependent variable and anthropometric measurements and
age � independent variables) with Group A. 'ey were developed on the basis of circumferences (TBFP1), SFTs (TBFP2),
circumferences and SFTs (TBFP3), and highly significant circumferences and SFTs (r ≥ 0.6) (TBFP4). In the second step, the newly
developed equations were cross-validated using Group B. 'ree equations (TBFP1, TBFP2, and TBFP4) showed the agreement
with cross-validation criteria. 'ere were no differences between TBFPDXA and TBFP estimated by these equations (p > 0.05).
'ey showed higher measurement concordance with TBFPDXA; correlation between measured TBFP with DXA and estimated
with TBFP1, TBFP2, and TBFP4, respectively, was 0.80 (R2 � 0.65, SEE � 3.10), 0.83 (R2 � 0.69, SEE � 2.93), and 0.84 (R2 � 0.72,
SEE � 2.78). 'ree anthropometric measurements based on predictive equations were developed and cross-validated to satis factorily estimate the TBFP in adult women.
