Percentage of fat adjusted for build in postmenarchal Venezuelan adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is an important period of life characterised by morphological and physiological changes that have healthrelated significance. In recent decades, the improved standard of living conditions, as well as a change in the pattern of intake and quality of food plus reduced levels of physical activity, have increased the levels of overweight and obesity within this age group. The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 82 postmenarchal girls aged 13-17 years, from the city of Caracas, Venezuela. The aim of the investigation was to examine the relationship between frame size and percentage of body fat. Biceps, triceps, subscapular and medial calf skinfolds, and bicondylar widths of the humerus and femur were included in the anthropometric survey. The equations of Slaughter et al. (1988) and two linear regression analyses with humerus and femur widths as independent variables were used. Percentage body fat had a low to moderate (p<0.05) correlation with humerus (r = 0,39) and femur (r = 0.50) width. The results suggest that build, particularly as indicated by femur width may be a useful tool in the appraisal of adiposity in girls of these ages and may be of use in further research in other age groups.