COMPARISON OF BODY-COMPOSITION IN BLACK-AND-WHITE PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

We examined 23 pairs of black and white premenopausal women to determi ne whether there were ethnic differences in body composition, The pair s were matched on weight and height. Each woman had measurements of to tal body water taken by a tritiated water dilution technique, total bo dy nitrogen, and total body carbon by neutron-activation, mineral ash by dual x-ray absorptiometry, and body potassium by whole body countin g. Differences between blacks and whites were compared with the use of both the two-compartment and four-compartment models. The two-compart ment model showed that in premenopausal black and white women of simil ar age, heights, and weights, blacks had significantly more lean mass. The four-compartment model resulted in similar conclusions. The black women had larger protein, mineral, and water compartments and less fa t than whites. It may be that body weight measurements as an indicator of obesity should be adjusted for black versus white women.