Original Paper

Validation of Ultrasound Techniques Applied to Body Fat Measurement
A Comparison between Ultrasound Techniques, Air Displacement Plethysmography and Bioelectrical Impedance vs. Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
Jean-Claude Pineau^a, Anne-Marie Guihard-Costa^a, Michel Bocquet<sup>b

a</sup>Dynamique de l'évolution humaine UPR 2147 CNRS, Paris, and
^bLM3, CNRS, UMR 8006, ENSAM, Paris, France

Address of Corresponding Author

Ann Nutr Metab 2007;51:421-427 (DOI: 10.1159/000111161)

  Key Words

• Body composition
• Ultrasound technique
• Bioimpedance
• Plethysmography
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

  Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the accuracy of body fat percentage (BF%) estimates from a portable, non-traumatizing ultrasound device with high accuracy and reliability compared to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), the reference technique. Design: Cross-validation between ultrasound technique (UT), DEXA, air displacement plethysmography (ADP) and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) was developed in the study. Subjects: A total of 89 healthy subjects (41 women, 48 men), aged 48.4 ± 17.7 (mean ± SD), with Body mass index (28.5 ± 7.7 kg/m²) and body fat DEXA (29.6 ± 10.8 kg) participated. Methods: BF% was measured using an UT associated with anthropometric parameters and simultaneously, with the DEXA reference technique, BIA and ADP. Results: UT estimates of BF% were better correlated with those of DEXA in both males and females (r = 0.98, SEE = 2.0) than with ADP (r = 0.94, SEE = 3.7) or BIA (r = 0.92, SEE = 4.4). The UT in both genders was better (TE = 1.0) than BIA (TE = 2.6) and ADP (TE = 3.0). The 95% limits of agreement were also better for the UT (-2%; 2%) than with BIA (-5.1%; 4.9%) and ADP (-6.3%; 5.3%). Conclusions: The limits of agreement with BIA and ADP are unacceptably high compared to a DEXA measure criterion. The use of a new portable device based on a UT produced a very accurate BF% estimate in relation to the DEXA reference technique.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Jean-Claude Pineau
UPR 2147, CNRS, 44, rue de l'Amiral Mouchez
FR-75014 Paris (France)
Tel. +33 1 4313 5683, Fax +33 1 4313 5630
E-Mail pineau@ivry.cnrs.fr

  Article Information

Received: January 25, 2007
Accepted: March 20, 2007
Published online: November 20, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 5, Number of References : 32