EVALUATION OF BODY FAT PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ACCORDING TO THREE DIFFERENT METHODS.

Purpose: In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the body fat percentage of female university students according to three different methods. Methods: This study was conducted on 282 healthy female students aged 20-25 years who attended at different faculties of Erciyes University and, also lived in female dormitories of General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories Agency. Body weight, height, body fat percentage (BF %) were measured by methods of skinfold thickness (SKF), circumference measurement (CM) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. Significance level was accepted as 0.05. Results: Mean age was 21.07 ± 1.26 years while body weight and height of the participants were 57.48 ± 8.00 kg and 162.26 ± 5.97 cm, respectively. When BF % was compared according to three different methods, statistically significant difference was found (p<0.001). Range of BF % of three methods from minimum to maximum was found as CM, BIA and SKF, respectively. According to BIA and SKF methods, BF % was significantly different between physically active and less active students in other faculties (p<0.00I). Significant difference was not found in physically less active students. According to CM, BF % was not significantly different among faculties. Conclusion: It was known that a physically active lifestyle could decrease BF % and increase muscle mass. However according to SKF, BF % could give different results because of the researcher or different measurement formulas. It was thought that BIA could give both practical and accurate results by paying attention to measurement rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]