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Standards for skinfold thickness and abdominal/hip ratio have been published which facilitate the evaluation of body composition as an index of health risk and can be used to determine the degree to which lifestyle modification may be required. This study provides information on body composition including fat distribution in a Javanese population living in Jember, Indonesia. The sample consisted of 122 adults (71m, 51f), aged between 20 and 60 years, selected randomly from the Indonesian Government identification list. Data collected were compared with that obtained from the Melbourne Body Composition Study a representative sample of Australians living in Melbourne. Body fatness was assessed from the skinfold measurement at four sites: triceps, biceps, subscapular and supra iliac and converted using the Durnin and Womersley equation. Body fat distribution was assessed from the ratio of the smallest waist and the maximal gluteal circumference. The body composition profile of these two populations were also measured by the BIA method. The cross-sectional data showed that there are significant differences between the two populations in the degree of fatness and fat distribution. However, Melbourne Australians and Jember Indonesians were similar in biceps skinfold thickness of males and females, and in the subscapular skinfold thickness in females. The use of skinfold thickness of measuring body composition differences between populations is a valuable instrument, provided more than a single site is used. A low-cost technique like BIA provides additional information. A single skinfold thickness may still be valuable provided standards appropriate to the ethnic group are used. The difference in body composition profiles between the two populations suggests the evaluation of the association between fat mass and fat distribution and health risk should be based on standards appropriate to the ethnic group studied. This requires longitudinal studies of body composition, and health outcome specific to each population. |
