title: Challenges in determining body fat in pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determining body composition in pregnant women is challenging as not all of the existing applicable methodologies can be used during pregnancy and not all of the methods have been properly standardized. The aim of this study was to compare the existing anthropometric methods for the evaluation of body composition, especially in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred forty-seven pregnant volunteers aged [average (SD)] 31 years (± 4) in gestational week 32 (± 3) provided information on their age and prepregnancy body mass. Their height, current mass, skinfold thicknesses, and limb circumferences were measured. The body density and fat percentage were calculated according to 17 different anthropometric equations obtained from the literature. Data were analyzed with ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the same sample of pregnant women, the body fat percentages obtained using the existing anthropometric methods varied greatly (p < 0.0001) and ranged from 16% (± 5) to 38% (± 4); methods developed specifically for pregnant women yielded disturbingly large differences, with body fat values ranging from 16% (± 5) to 36% (± 6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed large discrepancies among anthropometric methods for body composition assessment in pregnant women. As the results from the same sample obtained with different existing equations are wide ranging, the existing methodologies should be examined and improved before they can serve as sources of information regarding the health status of pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Robič
authors.forename: Evgen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedik
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fidler Mis
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bratanič
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rogelj
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Golja
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D055105:Waist Circumference