Pilot Study Examining Pregnancy-specific Equations to Estimate Percent Body Fat in an Overweight/obese Pregnant Hispanic Population

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Over half of women entering pregnancy are overweight or obese, increasing metabolic risk. This pilot study investigated whether established equations for estimating maternal percent body fat using anthropometry are accurate for Hispanic, overweight or obese pregnant women. Methods: The Siri technique of calculating percent body fat from direct measurements of body density and total body water was the gold-standard. Other pregnancy-specific equations were also examined. The study population included 15 normoglycemic, pregnant Hispanic women in their third trimester (33.2±1.9 gestational week) with a pre-pregnancy body mass index ≥25 to