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Comparative Study
. 2014 Sep;69(9):1069-75.
doi: 10.1093/gerona/glt165. Epub 2013 Oct 24.

Validation study of the body adiposity index as a predictor of percent body fat in older individuals: findings from the BLSA

Hui Chang  1 , Eleanor M Simonsick  2 , Luigi Ferrucci  2 , Jamie A Cooper  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Validation study of the body adiposity index as a predictor of percent body fat in older individuals: findings from the BLSA

Hui Chang et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

A new body adiposity index (BAI = (hip circumference)/((height)(1.5)) - 18) has been developed and validated in adult populations. We aimed to assess the validity of BAI in an older population. We compared the concordance correlation coefficient between BAI, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (fat%; by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) in an older population (n = 954) participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. BAI was more strongly correlated with fat% than BMI (r of .7 vs .6 for BAI vs BMI and fat%, respectively, p < .01) and exhibited a smaller mean difference from fat% (-5.2 vs -7.6 for BAI vs BMI and fat%, respectively, p < .01) indicating better agreement. In men, however, BMI was in better agreement with fat% (r of .6 vs .7 for BAI vs BMI and fat%, respectively, p < .01) with a smaller mean difference from fat% (-3.0 vs -2.2 for BAI vs BMI and fat%, respectively, p < .01). Finally, BAI did not accurately predict fat% in people with a fat% below 15%. BAI provides valid estimation of body adiposity in an older adult population; however, BMI may be a better index for older men. Finally, BAI is not accurate in people with extremely low or high body fat percentages.

Keywords: BMI; Body adiposity; Older population..

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Bland–Altman limits-of-agreement plots between body adiposity index (BAI) or body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat (from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry [DXA]). (A) Bland–Altman plots between BAI and percent body fat (from DXA) in total sample and age ≥ 65 years; (B) Bland–Altman plots between BMI and percent body fat (from DXA) in total sample and age ≥ 65 years. BAI showed better agreement with percent body fat than BMI did both in the total sample and in age ≥ 65 years.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(A) Regression between body adiposity index (BAI) and percent body fat. (B) Regression between body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat for both men and women. The interaction terms for men and women were not significant in the regression of percent body fat vs BAI (thus we used one line to represent the linear regression), but significantly different for percent body fat vs BMI (thus we used two lines).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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