Research Paper
Percentage of body fat in adolescents with Down syndrome: Estimation from skinfolds

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.05.013Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) have a unique morphology and body shape, and this needs to be taken into account when assessing body fat percentage (BF%).

Objective

To develop a predictive equation from anthropometric variables (skinfolds) for estimating BF% in adolescents with DS.

Methods

Twenty-three adolescents with DS (7 girls, 16 boys) participated in the study; seven skinfold measurements were taken (biceps, triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh, and medial calf), circumferences and diameters were measured following ISAK recommendations. Total body volume (and then body density) was measured with air displacement plethysmography (ADP); BF% was then calculated. Correlation between anthropometry data and BF% by ADP, and stepwise regression analyses were applied to develop a specific prediction equation.

Results

All the skinfolds, BMI, hip, waist and thigh circumferences correlated with BF% and were included in the regression analysis; sex and triceps were added into the model (R2 = 0.89, p < 0.05). Therefore the proposed equation computed as follows: BF% = (0.97 TR) − (8.869·SEX) + 15.6 where TR is triceps skinfolds (mm) and SEX is equal to 0 for female and 1 for male.

Conclusions

The proposed prediction equation is recommended for the assessment of BF% in adolescents with DS as it is the only one specifically developed and validated in this unique population. It is a cheap, reliable and accessible method that removes the need for use of expensive equipment.

Section snippets

Participants

A total of 23 adolescents (7 girls/16 boys) with DS living at home and aged 12–18 years old were recruited from three different schools and institutions in Aragón (Spain). Before the start of the study institutions were contacted to deliver a briefing session with parents and offering the opportunity to participate in the study. Both parents and adolescents were informed concerning the aims and procedures of the study, as well as the possible risks and benefits derived. An informed consent was

Results

The physical characteristics of the study group are shown in Table 1. Absolute and relative TEMs for each skinfold are shown in Table 2. Relative TEMs were lower than 2% for all skinfolds (1.6% the highest).

Relationships between anthropometric variables and BF% by ADP are shown in Table 3; all of the skinfold showed mid-to-strong positive correlations with BF% (r from 0.55 to 0.75; all p < 0.05); while BMI, and hip, waist and thigh circumferences correlated with BF% (r 0.56, 0.63, 0.6 and 0.62

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to develop a prediction equation for estimating BF% in adolescents with DS. The accuracy of the proposed equation was comparable to with ADP measurements (r > 0.89) and with a standard error of the estimate around 2 points.

A previous study carried out in our laboratory18 revealed that the equation of Slaughter et al was the most appropriate fit to the unique morphology and physical characteristics of children and adolescents with DS. Despite this, the equation of

Conclusion

In conclusion, for the assessment of BF% in adolescents with DS the use of the proposed equation is recommended as is the only one specifically developed and validated in this population taking into account their unique morphological characteristics.

Acknowledgment

The authors want to thank all the children and their parents that participated in the study for their understanding and dedication to the project. Special thanks are given to Fundación Down Zaragoza and Special Olympics Aragon for their support. We would like to thank Scott G. Mitchell from the Institute of Material Science in Aragon (ICMA-CSIC) for his help in proofreading and improving English grammar and syntax of the manuscript.

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    There are no conflicts of interest or financial disclosures for any author of this manuscript. None of the authors have any financial interest.

    This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Project DEP 2009-09183). AML received a Grant AP12/02854 from ‘Ministerio de Educación,Cultura y Deportes’.

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    These authors were equally contributed to this article.

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