[A comparative study of skinfold thickness and bioelectric impedance analysis in the evaluation of body composition of children and adolescents].

A comparative study as carried out between skin-fold thickness tests and bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) to assess the validity of the latter as a method for evaluating body composition in childhood and youth. The percentage values of total body fat obtained using both methods in 117 boys and girls aged between 8 and 14 appear to be significantly correlated (p less than 0.01) in both sexes (males: r = 0.891; females: r = 0.830) and in each group of subjects subdivided according to stage of puberal development (8-11 years: r = 0.905; 12-14 years: r = 0.864) or the degree of physical activity performed (active: r = 0.880; sedentary: r = 0.915). The results of the study confirm that BIA represents a valid and reliable method to analyse body composition even during circumpuberal development in phase opposition. Moreover, BIA provides an estimate of total body fat which is independent of the differences in distribution between surface and deep deposits.