Determination of Body Composition of Children from Skinfold Measurements

Abstract

Total body water was measured in 23 children aged 1 to 11 years and correlated with estimates of lean body mass derived from measurements of skinfold thickness. The correlation coefficient was 0·98. Skinfold thickness can, therefore, be used to estimate lean body mass, and thus total body fat, in young children for whom other techniques for the measurement of body composition cannot easily be used.