Triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness percentiles of a school-based sample of adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Skinfold thickness is an indicator of body fat, allowing a more detailed description of obesity. In Vietnam, there are no published percentile values for triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements from population-based studies of adolescents. This study aims to establish percentile tables for triceps, subscapular, and triceps + subscapular skinfolds (TSF + SSSF) sum. We used data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Ho Chi Minh City. BMI, triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements of 2660 students were obtained. The L (Box-Cox transformation), M (median), and S (coefficient of variation) parameters were used to generate exact percentiles. The proportion of overweight was higher in boys (18.4% vs. 8.2%, p < 0.0001). Triceps, subscapular skinfolds, and TSF + SSSF were significantly higher in girls than in boys (p < 0.001). Our results provide sex- and age-specific reference values for skinfold thickness that can be applied as a new complimentary assessment tool for Vietnamese adolescents.