title: Comparisons of body volumes and dimensions using three-dimensional photonic scanning in adult Hispanic-Americans and Caucasian-Americans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pereg
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Dympna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Pi-Sunyer