Background: The BodyMetrix(®) BX-2000 Ultrasound device (ULTRA) shows prowess in being an effective alternative to the expense and technicality of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). However, this technique has not been investigated using a seven-site methodology.
Subject/objective: To employ a cross-over design to investigate the agreement between ULTRA using a seven-site methodology and DXA in assessing body fat (%BF) in a normal-weight sample of college-age men and women.
Methods: Subjects (n = 84, BMI = 23.6 ± 3.6 kg m(-²), age = 23.0 ± 4.7 years) participated in this study with %BF measurements following the manufacturer's specifications.
Results: Significant differences were observed between methods with ULTRA less than DXA (difference = 4.4 ± 0.8%, t-statistic = 7.27, P<0.001) with no difference between men and women.
Conclusion: The current study showed that ULTRA using a seven-site methodology did not agree with DXA in measuring %BF. Thus, this investigational ULTRA methodology might not be appropriate in estimating %BF in this population.
Keywords: DXA; body composition analysis; percentage body fat; ultrasound device.
© 2014 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.