Comparisons of body volumes and dimensions using three-dimensional photonic scanning in adult Hispanic-Americans and Caucasian-Americans

• Published in: Journal of diabetes science and technology 2007-11, Vol.1 (6), p.921-928
• Main Authors: Olivares, Josefina, Wang, Jack, Yu, Wen, Pereg, Vicente, Weil, Richard, Kovacs, Betty, Gallagher, Dympna, Pi-Sunyer, F Xavier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Obesity Technology
• ISSN: 1932-2968; 1932-3107
• DOI: 10.1177/193229680700100619

We studied whether significant differences exist between Hispanic-Americans (H-A) and Caucasian-Americans (C-A) in body dimensions using a newly validated three-dimensional photonic scanner (3DPS). We compared two cohorts of 34 adult U.S.-based H-A (19 females) and 40 adult C-A (25 females) of similar age and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)). We measured total body volume (TBV), trunk volume (TV), and other body dimensions, including waist and hip circumferences, estimated percentage body fat (%fat), calculated TV/TBV, and waist-to-hip ratio. For female cohorts, there were no significant differences in age, weight, height, and 3DPS-measured variables between the two ethnic cohorts. For male cohorts, C-A had greater height (p = 0.014), but there were no significant differences in absolute or proportional volumes or dimensions between the two cohorts. Results demonstrate that, in these H-A and C-A cohorts of similar age and BMI, total and regional body volumes and dimensions, as well as their proportions, approximate each other very closely in both sexes; these variables also show similar relationships with %fat in each sex. This is in contradistinction to previous study reports using other measurement techniques.