Preliminary study of body mass index and its relationship to percent body fat in Harare, Zimbabwe.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this paper were to document the body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric characteristics of the city of Harare urban dwellers of Zimbabwe. To investigate the relationship between BMI, sum of skin folds (SSF) and percent body fat (PBF).


METHODS
Cross sectional study.


METHODS
Designated fitness awareness locations in the city of Harare during the 1998 physiotherapy awareness week.


METHODS
The participants were 140 apparently healthy adults, males (n = 71) and females (n = 69).


METHODS
Body Mass Index.


RESULTS
The minimum and maximum values of BMI were 17.7 and 33.3 for men, 17.6 and 47.8 for women. BMI was not found to increase with aging but PBF on the contrary did. The mean BMI value for the males and females was 24.89 +/- 3.18 and 27.8 +/- 5.89 respectively. There was no significant difference in mean BMI between sexes (p = 0.331). Weight was also similar by gender (p = 0.4691). In both sexes, the BMI showed a significant positive correlation with PBF, SSF, body weight and age (for males r = 0.721, 0.731, 0.900, 0.369, p < 0.01 respectively; and in females r = 0.786, 0.804, 0.940, 0.404 and p < 0.01 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Women were found to have higher BMI, PBF, SSF than their male counterparts. On the average, men were found to be taller, with no significant difference in weight. There was a linear relationship between BMI and PBF, and all the variables investigated except age and stature in both sexes. Because of the differences of environment and industrialisation, estimation of BMI should involve such factors as ethnicity, race, gender and age.
Useh
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Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, P O Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Mbajiorgu
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Feresu
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Madzivire
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015030:Zimbabwe