Indicators of Anthropometry, Body Mass Index and the Correlation between Them as an Assessment of the Level of Physical Activity of Medical Students.

Abstract

Hypodynamia leads to an increase in BMI, body fat mass, and a decrease in musculoskeletal mass. These changes can be detected by anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis. Anthropometry is the most optimal method of measuring the human body and its parts, it is cheap and affordable. Bioimpedance measurement is used to determine the amount of fat and fluid in the body, muscle and bone mass, as well as metabolism. Biomedance analysis is a more expensive method compared to anthropometry, so its use is not always possible. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between anthropometric measurements and BIA. The study involved 150 students of both sexes studying at the Russian University of Medicine. Initially, the prevalence of physical inactivity among the subjects was studied, the examination and collection of anthropometric data of students, the calculation of BMI, waist and hip circumferences, shoulder-shoulder index were carried out. At the same time, the percentage of adipose tissue and its visceral part was determined by biomedance analysis. Then, the obtained indicators of anthropometry and bioimpedance were compared.

The results of the correlation analysis showed that there is a relationship between anthropometric measurements and BIA, which is most pronounced for the association of BMI with adipose tissue content. The results obtained make it possible to use anthropometry in cases where BIA is not available.