title: Fat in android, trunk, and peripheral regions varies by ethnicity and race in college aged women.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether quantity of fat is different across the central (i.e., android, trunk) and peripheral (i.e., arm, leg, and gynoid) regions among young African-American (AA), Asian (AS), Hispanic (HI), and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. A cohort of 1,161 women (18-30 years) from university physical activity classes were assessed for body composition via dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The mean total body fat percent (TBF%, x = 31.0 ± 7.36%, range = 11.4-54.4%) indicates sufficient variability for the aims. A linear mixed model (LMM) revealed an ethnicity by region fat% interaction (P < 0.0001). Differences existed between ethnicities for each region fat% (all P's < 0.0001) except between HI and AA for the arm region (P = 0.0086) and between AS and NHW for all peripheral regions (P > 0.05). AAs had the highest fat% and HI had the second highest fat% for each region. AS had the third highest fat% for the trunk and android regions. For each ethnicity, the gynoid region had the greatest fat%, followed by the android region, whereas the arm region had the lowest fat%. Future research needs to determine if ethnic differences in central body fat in young women are associated with health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance.
authors: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA. mstults@niu.edu
authors: Matthew A
authors: MA
authors: Stults-Kolehmainen
authors: Philip R
authors: PR
authors: Stanforth
authors: John B
authors: JB
authors: Bartholomew
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001823:Body Composition; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000208:ethnology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult