Association between weight-height ratios and subcutaneous fat in young Peruvian university students

Introduction: Body fat distribution has been significantly associated as a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk factor. The aim of the study was to verify the applicability of the anthropometric staturo-weight indices (Body Mass Index BMI and Triponderal Mass Index TMI) to assess body adiposity in young Peruvian university students. Material and methods: A descriptive (correlational) study was carried out in young university students. We investigated 210 subjects of both sexes (59 males and 151 females) with an age range of 18 to 25 years from a national university in Arequipa. Weight, height and four skinfolds (bicipital, tricipital, subscapular and supra iliac) were evaluated. Body mass index (BMI) and triponderal index (TMI) were calculated. Results: The relationships between anthropometric indices and the sum of 4 skinfolds were significant in both sexes. In men, the relationship between the sum of skinfolds with BMI was R-2 = 75% and with the TMI was R-2 = 73%. In females, the relationship between the sum of folds with BMI was R-2= 63% and with TMI was R-2 = 57%. There were significant differences between the three categories (high, medium and low), both for BMI and TMI and in both sexes (p<0.05). Conclusion: In both sexes, there was a significant association between BMI and IMT with the sum of subcutaneous folds. These findings suggest that both BMI and TMI are useful to estimate body adiposity in Peruvian university students.