Abstract
BackgroundApplication of advanced body composition measurement methods is not practical in developing countries context due to cost and unavailability of facilities. This study generated ethnic specific body fat percent prediction equation for Ethiopian adults using appropriate data.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried ifrom February to April 2015 among 704 randomly selected adult employees of Jimma University. Ethnic specific Ethiopian body fat percent (BF%) prediction equation was developed using a multivariable linear regression model with measured BF% as dependent variable and age, sex, and body mass index as predictor variables. Agreement between fat percent measured using air displacement plethysmography and body fat percent estimated using Caucasian prediction equations was determined using Bland Altman plot.ResultsComparison of ADP measured and predicted BF% showed that Caucasian prediction equation underestimated body fat percent among Ethiopian adults by 6.78% (P < 0.0001). This finding is consistent across all age groups and ethnicities in both sexes. Bland Altman plot did not show agreement between ADP and Caucasian prediction equation (mean difference = 6.7825) and some of the points are outside 95% confidence interval. The caucasian prediction equation significantly underestimates body fat percent in Ethiopian adults, which is consistent across all ethnic groups in the sample. The study developed Ethnic specific BF% prediction equations for Ethiopian adults.ConclusionThe Caucasian prediction equation significantly underestimates body fat percent among Ethiopian adults regardless of ethnicity. Ethiopian ethnic-specific prediction equation can be used as a very simple, cheap, and cost-effective alternative for estimating body fat percent among Ethiopian adults for health care provision in the prevention of obesity and related morbidities and for research purposes.
Highlights
Measurement of body fat percent (BF%) is useful to evaluate the effect of exercise and dietary interventionsSinaga et al Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (2021) 40:17This makes the validity and reliability of international body mass index (BMI) cutoff for the determination of body composition among different ethnic groups questionable
It has been reported that measurement of BF% gives a more precise estimation of body composition that BMI due to differences in body fat distributions among the different ethnic groups [11]
World Health Organization (WHO) projected that by 2030, the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases oversteps that of communicable diseases in sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia [18]
Summary
Sinaga et al Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (2021) 40:17. This makes the validity and reliability of international BMI cutoff for the determination of body composition among different ethnic groups questionable. It has been reported that measurement of BF% gives a more precise estimation of body composition that BMI due to differences in body fat distributions among the different ethnic groups [11]. Since the past few decades the magnitude of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing in developing countries since the past few decades [17,18,19]. World Health Organization (WHO) projected that by 2030, the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases oversteps that of communicable diseases in sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia [18]. This study generated ethnic specific body fat percent prediction equation for Ethiopian adults using appropriate data
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