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The validity of predicted body fat percentage from body mass index and from impedance in samples of five European populations

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 55, pages 973–979 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives: To test and compare the validity of a body mass index (BMI)-based prediction equation and an impedance-based prediction equation for body fat percentage among various European population groups.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Settings: The study was performed in five different European centres: Maastricht and Wageningen (The Netherlands), Milan and Rome (Italy) and Tampere (Finland), where body composition studies are routinely performed.

Subjects: A total of 234 females and 182 males, aged 18–70 y, BMI 17.0–41.9 kg/m2.

Methods: The reference method for body fat percentage (BF%REF) was either dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or densitometry (underwater weighing). Body fat percentage (BF%) was also predicted from BMI, age and sex (BF%BMI) or with a hand-held impedance analyser that uses in addition to arm impedance weight, height, age and sex as predictors (BF%IMP).

Results: The overall mean (±s.e.) bias (measured minus predicted) for BF%BMI was 0.2±0.3 (NS) and−0.7±0.3 (NS) in females and males, respectively. The bias of BF%IMP was 0.2±0.2 (NS) and 1.0±0.4 (P<0.01) for females and males, respectively. There were significant differences in biases among the centres. The biases were correlated with level of BF% and with age. After correction for differences in age and BF% between the centres the bias of BF%BMI was not significantly different from zero in each centre and was not different among the centres anymore. The bias of BF%IMP decreased after correction and was significant from zero and significant from the other centres only in males from Tampere. Generally, individual biases can be high, leading to a considerably misclassification of obesity. The individual misclassification was generally higher with the BMI-based prediction.

Conclusions: The prediction formulas give generally good estimates of BF% on a group level in the five population samples, except for the males from Tampere. More comparative studies should be conducted to get better insight in the generalisation of prediction methods and formulas. Individual results and classifications have to be interpreted with caution.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 973–979

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Acknowledgements

The help of Ulla Hakala (Tampere), Kirsi Mansikkamäki (Tampere), Brenda Kuyf (Wageningen) and Marieke Snijder (Wageningen) in the practical measurements is greatly appreciated. The study was granted in part by OMRON Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan.

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Author notes

  1. P Deurenberg: Guarantor: P Deurenberg.

  2. P Deurenberg: Contributors: All contributors were involved in data collecting. PD conducted statistical analyses and wrote the draft paper. All authors contributed to the final version.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    P Deurenberg

  2. Department of Human Physiology, Human Nutrition Unit, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    P Deurenberg, A Andreoli & A de Lorenzo

  3. UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland

    P Borg & K Kukkonen-Harjula

  4. Department of Human Biology, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

    WD van Marken Lichtenbelt & N Vollaard

  5. Department of Food Science and Microbiology, The International Centre for the Assessment of Body Composition, University of Milan, Italy

    G Testolin & R Vigano

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  1. P Deurenberg
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  2. A Andreoli
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Correspondence to P Deurenberg.

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Deurenberg, P., Andreoli, A., Borg, P. et al. The validity of predicted body fat percentage from body mass index and from impedance in samples of five European populations. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 973–979 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601254

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Keywords

  • body composition
  • body fat percentage
  • body mass index
  • bioelectrical impedance
  • international comparison
  • validation

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