DIFFERENCES IN REGIONAL FAT DISTRIBUTION IN WOMEN FROM THREE ETHNIC GROUPS

Abstract

1356 The purpose of this study was to compare the regional fat distribution(RFD) among African-American (AA), Latina (LA), and Caucasian (CA) groups of healthy college-age females. Skinfolds (six sites), circumferences (four sites), skeletal widths (three sites), and body widths (three sites) were assessed in 37 females (AA, n = 12; LA, n = 13; CA, n = 12). There were no differences among ethnic groups in age, body weight, height, or BMI. RFD was determined by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and from a total body scan, performed on a Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometer (DXA; Lunar DPX-L, software version 1.3z). Regional fat was analyzed from the DXA scan by dividing the scan into three regions: Region I (waist;12- iliac crest); Region II (hip; anterior, superior iliac crest to ischial tuberosities); and Region III (thigh; ischial tuberosities to distal tip of femur). All analyses were performed by a single investigator with a laboratory CV for each Region < 4%. There were no significant differences in WHR among ethnic groups. However, the AA group had a significantly greater amount of fat weight in Region III, based on DXA analysis, when compared to the CA group (5.6 ± 1.3 kg vs. 5.1 ± 1.3 kg, p =.05). The LA group had a significantly greater%fat in Region I than the CA group (37.2 ± 4.5% vs. 30.0 ± 6.6%, p =.018), and the LA and AA groups had a greater%fat in Region II when compared to the CA group(39.2 ± 4.6%, 39.4 ± 7.2% vs. 33.2 ± 5.5%, p =.037). These results indicate that the traditional measurement of WHR does not detect differences in RFD among young, healthy women of three ethnic groups. In contrast, there are statistically significant differences in regional fat distribution as measured by DXA at physiologically important sites among ethnic groups. These findings suggest that racial differences exist in RFD, placing AA and LA at increased metabolic risk for obesity-related illness or disease.