Estimation of Human Body Volume (BV) from Anthropometric Measurements Based on Three-Dimensional (3D) Scan Technique

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to develop estimation formulae for the total human body volume (BV) of adult males using anthropometric measurements based on a three-dimensional (3D) scanning technique. Noninvasive and reliable methods to predict the total BV from anthropometric measurements based on a 3D scan technique were addressed in detail.

Methods

A regression analysis of BV based on four key measurements was conducted for approximately 160 adult male subjects. Eight total models of human BV show that the predicted results fitted by the regression models were highly correlated with the actual BV (p < 0.001).

Results

Two metrics, the mean value of the absolute difference between the actual and predicted BV (V _error) and the mean value of the ratio between V _error and actual BV (RV _error), were calculated. The linear model based on human weight was recommended as the most optimal due to its simplicity and high efficiency.

Conclusions

The proposed estimation formulae are valuable for estimating total body volume in circumstances in which traditional underwater weighing or air displacement plethysmography is not applicable or accessible.

Level of Evidence IV

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