Differences in the relationship between body fat and body mass index between two different Indonesian ethnic groups: the effect of body build.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between body fat percent (BF%) and body mass index (BMI) in two different Indonesian ethnic groups (Malays and Chinese) and to relate differences in the relationship to differences in body build and slenderness.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Except for ethnicity, not specially selected populations living on Java (Depok, south of Jakarta: Malay Indonesians, n = 117) and on Sulawesi (Makale, north of Ujung Pandang: Chinese Indonesians, n = 109).


METHODS
Weight, height, sitting height, waist and hip circumferences and skeletal widths were measured. BMI was calculated and BF% was predicted from BMI, age and sex using a (Dutch) Caucasian prediction formula. Slenderness was expressed as the ratio of weight: sum of knee and wrist width. BF% assessed by deuterium oxide dilution was used as a reference.


RESULTS
BF% in the male and female Malay Indonesians was 24.6+/-7.0 and 35.6+/-5.6% respectively which was not significantly different from the values in the male and female Chinese Indonesians (24.0+/-4.3 and 33.8+/-6.9%). BMI and age were significantly lower in the Malay Indonesians. Malay Indonesians had a more slender body build in terms of skeletal widths compared to the Chinese Indonesians, and they had a higher slenderness index. BF% predicted from BMI using a Caucasian prediction formula was underestimated by 5.8+/-4.8% and 7.7+/-3.8% in the male and female Malay Indonesians but only by 1.3+/-3.0% and 1.7+/-3.7% in the male and female Chinese Indonesians. After correction for differences in age, sex and BF% the Malay Indonesians had a 1.7+/-0.3 kg/m2 (P < 0.0001) lower BMI than the Chinese Indonesians. After correcting for body build and relative sitting height the difference lowered to 0.9+/-0.4 kg/m2 (P < 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The study confirmed the results of an earlier study that Indonesians have a higher BF% at the same BMI compared to Caucasians, but that there are apparently also differences among Indonesian subgroups. These differences are at least partly related to differences in body build.
School of Public Health, Gedung D Lt.II, University of Indonesia, Depok.
S
S
Gurrici
Y
Y
Hartriyanti
J G
JG
Hautvast
P
P
Deurenberg
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008297:Male; D013008:Somatotypes