The association between body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat (%BF) in the case of ethiopian college students

The main purpose of this study was to examine whether BMI has strength or not to predict percentage body fat (%BF) of overweight subjects as compared to Harpenden skin fold calliper techniques.

Out of 545 students in a college population of Ethiopia, 90 young male subjects aged 19–24 yrs with a mean BMI of 27.4686 ± 0.88(sd) Kg/m² and a mean %BF of 15.3374 ± 0.87(sd) were participated for the present study using purposeful sampling techniques. Subcutaneous body fat was measured followed the standard measurement protocol at the chest, midaxillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailium, and thigh using Harpenden skin fold calliper (HSC). Body density and %BF was computed by Jackson & Pollock, and Siri, formula respectively.

A higher positive correlation (r = 0.867) was obtained between BMI and %BF. However, this correlation did not indicate over fatness of the present study. This is because subjects who were classified as overweight with a BMI measurement tool were found to be optimum or in the recommended range value when their %BF were computed with HSC.

Even though a higher positive correlation was obtained between BMI and %BF, BMI did not properly predict the %BF as it was compared to HSC. Therefore, caution is very important when BMI will be used as a means of body fat assessment tool. Other factors like the proportion and density of tissue, upper and lower body extremity, ethnicity and age should be further examined.