Abstract
1. Skinfold thicknesses at four sites – biceps, triceps, subscapular and supra-iliac – and total body density (by underwater weighing) were measured on 209 males and 272 females aged from 16 to 72 years. The fat content varied from 5 to 50% of body-weight in the men and from 10 to 61% in the women. 2. When the results were plotted it was found necessary to use the logarithm of skinfold measurements in order to achieve a linear relationship with body density. 3. Linear regression equations were calculated for the estimation of body density, and hence body fat, using single skinfolds and all possible sums of two or more skinfolds. Separate equations for the different age-groupings are given. A table is derived where percentage body fat can be read off corresponding to differing values for the total of the four standard skinfolds. This table is subdivided for sex and for age. 4. The possible reasons for the altered position of the regression lines with sex and age, and the validation of the use of body density measurements, are discussed.
Keywords
Hydrostatic weighingLinear regressionClassification of obesitySkinfold thicknessBody adiposity indexMathematicsBody weightRegression analysisAnimal scienceStatisticsMedicineDemographyEndocrinologyBiologyLean body mass
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
The assessment of the amount of fat in the human body from measurements of skinfold thickness
1. Skinfold thickness and body density were measured on 105 young adult men and women and 86 adolescent boys and girls. 2. The correlation coefficients between the skinfold thic...
How Useful Is Body Mass Index for Comparison of Body Fatness across Age, Sex, and Ethnic Groups?
This study tested the hypothesis that body mass index (BMI) is representative of body fatness independent of age, sex, and ethnicity. Between 1986 and 1992, the authors studied ...
Racial differences in body fat distribution among reproductive-aged women
We examined the influence of race/ethnicity on body fat distribution for a given body mass index (BMI) among reproductive-aged women. Body weight, height, and body fat distribut...
Sleep Apnea, Hypopnea and Oxygen Desaturation in Normal Subjects
Thirty asymptomatic men and 19 asymptomatic women were monitored during one night's sleep to determine the incidence of breathing abnormalities and oxygen desaturation in normal...
Race, Visceral Adipose Tissue, Plasma Lipids, and Lipoprotein Lipase Activity in Men and Women
Abstract —Abdominal obesity is associated with numerous metabolic alterations, such as hypertriglyceridemia and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1974
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 77-97
- Citations
- 6320
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
6320
OpenAlex
Cite This
J. V. G. A. Durnin,
J Womersley
(1974).
Body fat assessed from total body density and its estimation from skinfold thickness: measurements on 481 men and women aged from 16 to 72 Years.
British Journal Of Nutrition
, 32
(1)
, 77-97.
https://doi.org/10.1079/bjn19740060
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1079/bjn19740060