Body composition of Native-American women estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and hydrodensitometry.

In the present sample, the Native-American women varied in age (18-60 y) and fatness (23.0-57.4% BF). The cross-validation analysis for %BF estimated by DXA for this sample yielded a high validity coefficient (r = 0.89), and the average %BFDXA (37.3%) and %BFHW (37.6%) did not differ significantly. The prediction error (3.28% BF) was less than the theoretical expected value, given the wide range in age and fatness in this sample. Thus, it appears that DXA may be a viable alternative method for estimating the %BF of a diverse group of Native-American women. The DXA method is more practical than hydrostatic weighing, especially for subjects who are uncomfortable in the water. Also, DXA estimates of bone mineral may lead to improved estimates of FFB density for different ethnic populations.