Total body fat measurement by means of skinfold thickness was performed in 94 secondary school boys. Hydrostatic weighing was made on the same subject and corrected for residual volume in lung. Skinfold thicknesses at four sites, namely, back, waist, ...
Total body fat measurement by means of skinfold thickness was performed in 94 secondary school boys. Hydrostatic weighing was made on the same subject and corrected for residual volume in lung. Skinfold thicknesses at four sites, namely, back, waist, arm and abdomen, were compared with total body fat calculated from the equation given by Keys and Brozek and regression equation were computated. In 48 middle school boys aged between 13 and 16 years and 46 high school boys aged between 16 and 19 years, skinfold thicknesses increased at all 4 sites as age increased. The body density, however, showed different pattern. In middle school ages, body density showed little variation. Density in 13-14 years was 1.0608, in 14-15 years 1.0578 and in 15-16 years 1.0546. In high school ages density in-creased abruptly to 1.0703 (16 yr.), 1.0730 (17 yr.) and 1.0740 (18 yr.). Subsequently 15 years was a boundary for density change and total body fat change. In middle school boys as a group of 48 the observed values were: density: 1.0562, total body fat: 15.9%, mean skinfold thickness at four sites: 6.02 mm. The coefficient of correlation between mean skinfold thickness and density were r=-0.759 and r=0.781 with %fat. The regression equations were : Body $density=-0.00527{\times}Mean$ skinfold thickness (mm)+1.0879, %Fat=$1.933{\times}Mean$ skinfold thickness (mm)+4.26 In high school boys the values were: density: 1.0723, body fat: 10.4%, and mean skinfold thickness: 7.89 mm. Coefficients of correlation between mean skinfold thickness and density were r=-0.868 and r=0.855 with % fat. Thus, Body density=$-0.00365{\times}Mean$ skinfold thickness (mm)+1.1008, and %Fat=$1.326{\times}Mean$ skinfold thickness (mm)-0.064, were obtained. Although skinfold thicknesses at 4 sites showed a continuous increase in absolute value as age increased, relative growth of skinfold at specific site differed. On arm the growth of skinfold showed a decrease and on waist it showed an increase as compared to the mean thickness.