In vivo validation of whole body composition estimates from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) 1997-08, Vol.83 (2), p.623-630
• Main Authors: Prior, Barry M, Cureton, Kirk J, Modlesky, Christopher M, Evans, Ellen M, Sloniger, Mark A, Saunders, Michael, Lewis, Richard D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body Water - metabolism; Body Weight; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Humans; Male; Minerals - metabolism; Models, Biological; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1997.83.2.623

Barry M. Prior, Kirk J. Cureton, Christopher M. Modlesky, Ellen M. Evans, Mark A. Sloniger, Michael Saunders, and Richard D. Lewis Departments of Exercise Science and Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-3654 Received 21 November 1996; accepted in final form 15 April 1997. Prior, Barry M., Kirk J. Cureton, Christopher M. Modlesky, Ellen M. Evans, Mark A. Sloniger, Michael Saunders, and Richard D. Lewis. In vivo validation of whole body composition estimates from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(2): 623-630, 1997. We validated whole body composition estimates from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) against estimates from a four-component model to determine whether accuracy is affected by gender, race, athletic status, or musculoskeletal development in young adults. Measurements of body density by hydrostatic weighing, body water by deuterium dilution, and bone mineral by whole body DEXA were obtained in 172 young men ( n  = 91) and women ( n  = 81). Estimates of body fat (%Fat) from DEXA (%Fat DEXA ) were highly correlated with estimates of body fat from the four-component model [body density, total body water, and total body mineral (%Fat d,w,m ); r  = 0.94, standard error of the estimante (SEE) = 2.8% body mass (BM)] with no significant difference between methods [mean of the difference ± SD of the difference =  0.4 ± 2.9 (SD) % BM, P  = 0.10] in women and men. On the basis of the comparison with %Fat d,w,m , estimates of %Fat DEXA were slightly more accurate than those from body density ( r  = 0.91, SEE = 3.4%; mean of the difference ± SD of the difference =  1.2 ± 3.4% BM). Differences between %Fat DEXA and %Fat d,w,m were weakly related to body thickness, as reflected by BMI ( r  =  0.34), and to the percentage of water in the fat-free mass ( r  =  0.51), but were not affected by race, athletic status, or musculoskeletal development. We conclude that body composition estimates from DEXA are accurate compared with those from a four-component model in young adults who vary in gender, race, athletic status, body size, musculoskeletal development, and body fatness. body composition; body water; bone mineral; densitometry; women; gender; men; multicomponent models; musculoskeletal development; race 0161-7567/97 $5.00 Copyright © 1997 the American Physiological Society