Body composition of Aboriginal Australian women: comparison with age-matched Caucasians.
Although Aboriginal Australians (AA) exhibit an android fat deposition profile and suffer from a high incidence of type 2 diabetes, a comprehensive body composition assessment of AA has not yet been reported. The body composition of 16 non-diabetic AA women and 16 healthy age- and weight-matched Caucasian women (C) showed no significant ethnic differences in height, total body bone mineral density, total and appendicular skeletal muscle mass, and % fat. The abdominal fat-to-lean soft tissue ratio correlated more highly with age in AA ( r=0.79, p<0.001) than in C ( r=0.59, p<0.05) and with % fat in AA ( r=0.67, p<0.01) than in C ( r=0.54, p<0.05). However, analysis of variance showed that the difference between the two ethnic groups was not significant. Key findings are that dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry can accurately assess adiposity, and that hip girth should emerge as a valid predictor of central adiposity, in AA women.
Raja
C
C
CERO, Cancer Care Centre, St. George Hospital, Sydney, Australia. RajaC@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Hansen
R D
RD
Colagiuri
S
S
Allen
B J
BJ
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D001823:Body Composition; D001834:Body Water / Q000737:chemistry; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People