MULTICOMPARTMENT MODEL OF BODY-COMPOSITION ASSESSMENT IN CHINESE-AMERICAN ADULTS

Using hydrodensitometry, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and deuteri um dilution techniques, multiple compartment body composition assessme nt was performed on 29 adult Chinese-American men (n = 11) and women ( n = 18). The purpose of the investigation was to determine if signific ant differences exist in the estimation of percentage of body fat (%BF ) and fat-free mass (FFM), based on 2-, 3-, and 4-compartment models o f body composition. Height, weight, and the body mass index (BMI) for the men were 170 cm, 63 kg, and 22 kg/m(2); for the women, values were 161 cm, 59 kg, and 23 kg/m(2), respectively. Estimated values for %BF from density alone and density adjusted for TBW were not significantl y different for either the men or women (20.5% vs. 18.8%) and (28.2% v s. 27.4%). However, %BF estimated from the 4-compartment model of dens ity, TEW and BMC resulted in significantly lower values for both group s, 17.5% for men and 26.8% for women. The lack of a significant differ ence in %BF between density only and density adjusted for TEW indicate s that TEW was within the accepted constancy value associated with hyd rodensitometry. When density was adjusted for variation in both TEW an d BMC, a significant decline occurred in the estimate of %BF for men, but not for women. The average TEW to FFM ratio was 0.75., 0.74, and 0 .73 when using FFM values from 2-, 3-, and 4-compartment models, respe ctively. The average BMC to FFM ratio from two-, three-, and four-comp artment estimates of FFM were 0.054, 0.053, and 0.052 for the men and 0.060, 0.059, and 0.059 for the women. The results suggest that Chines e-American men and women have similar TBW/FFM ratios, but the BMC/FFM ratio is higher in women than men. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.