Body surface area equations for physically active men and women

Abstract

Objectives: To improve predictive formulae for estimating body surface area (BSA) in healthy men and women using a modern three-dimensional scanner technology. Methods: Body surface areas were obtained from a convenience sample of 1267 US Marines (464 women and 803 men) using a whole body surface scanner (Size Stream SS20). The reliability of SS20 measures of total and regional BSA within participants was compared across triplicate scans. We then derived a series of formulae to estimate SS20-measured BSA using various combinations of sex, height, and mass. We also assessed relationships between percent body fat measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and sex-specific formulae errors in Marines. Results: Body surface areas recorded by the SS20 were highly reliable whether measured for the total body or by region (ICC ≥.962). Formulae estimates of BSA from sex, height, and mass were precise (root-mean-square deviation, 0.031 m2). Errors from the Marine Corps formulae were positively associated with percent body fat for men (p =.001) but not women (p =.843). Conclusions: Clinicians, military leaders, and researchers can use the newly developed BSA formulae for precise estimates in healthy physically active men and women. Users should be aware that height- and mass-based BSA estimates are less accurate for individuals with extremely low or high percent body fat.