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Interdevice variability in percent fat estimates using the BOD POD

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 996–1001 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate interdevice reliability in body density (Db) and percent body fat (%BF) using air-displacement plethysmography, the BOD POD (BP) body composition system.

Design and Setting:

Duplicate body composition tests were performed in immediate succession on 50 adults (26 M, 24F; 21–53 y) using two BP units located in the same body composition laboratory.

Results:

Mean Db and %BF between BP1 and BP2 did not differ significantly for men (ΔDb=0.0003±0.0008 g/ml, P=0.632; Δ%BF=0.1±1.3, P=0.665), while for women, there were small but significant differences in Db and %BF between BP1 and BP2 (ΔDb=0.0018±0.0003 g/ml, P=0.001; Δ%BF=0.8±1.1, P=0.001). The regression between %BF by BP1 and BP2 did not deviate significantly from the line of identity for both men and women (R2=0.95, standard error of estimate (s.e.e.)=1.23 %BF for men; R2=0.97, s.e.e=1.13 %BF for women). Individual variations in %BF estimates between the two BP units were within acceptable ranges (95% limits of agreement=−2.5–2.7 %BF for men; −1.4–3.0 %BF for women), and there was no trend in individual differences as %BF varied (r=−0.19, P=0.359 for men; r=0.09, P=0.677 for women). Other subject characteristics, including age, body mass, height, and body mass index, did not significantly contribute to the differences in %BF estimates by the two BP units.

Conclusions:

No clinically significant differences in Db and %BF estimates exist between the BP units, and the interdevice variability of the BP has minimal impact on %BF estimates. Further, test-to-test reliability between BP units appears to be as good as within one unit.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Captain Patrick Oneill of Scott Air Force Base, Illinois Health and Wellness Center for help in data collection. Thanks also to Life Measurement Inc. (LMI) for their technical support and assistance in manuscript preparation. The results of this study were in no way biased by LMI or its representatives. The results of this study do not constitute endorsement of the product by the author or by EJCN.

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  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA

    S D Ball

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Ball, S. Interdevice variability in percent fat estimates using the BOD POD. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 996–1001 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602202

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