Comparisons of body volumes and dimensions using three-dimensional photonic scanning in adult Hispanic-Americans and Caucasian-Americans.
BACKGROUND
We studied whether significant differences exist between Hispanic-Americans (H-A) and Caucasian-Americans (C-A) in body dimensions using a newly validated three-dimensional photonic scanner (3DPS).


METHODS
We compared two cohorts of 34 adult U.S.-based H-A (19 females) and 40 adult C-A (25 females) of similar age and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)). We measured total body volume (TBV), trunk volume (TV), and other body dimensions, including waist and hip circumferences, estimated percentage body fat (%fat), calculated TV/TBV, and waist-to-hip ratio.


RESULTS
For female cohorts, there were no significant differences in age, weight, height, and 3DPS-measured variables between the two ethnic cohorts. For male cohorts, C-A had greater height (p = 0.014), but there were no significant differences in absolute or proportional volumes or dimensions between the two cohorts.


CONCLUSIONS
Results demonstrate that, in these H-A and C-A cohorts of similar age and BMI, total and regional body volumes and dimensions, as well as their proportions, approximate each other very closely in both sexes; these variables also show similar relationships with %fat in each sex. This is in contradistinction to previous study reports using other measurement techniques.
Olivares
Josefina
J
Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Wang
Jack
J
Yu
Wen
W
Pereg
Vicente
V
Weil
Richard
R
Kovacs
Betty
B
Gallagher
Dympna
D
Pi-Sunyer
F Xavier
FX