Cluster analysis of skinfold thickness and body composition among chinese adults of Han nationality

Measurement of body composition is verifying growingly important in clinical nutrition. Skinfold thickness is an unsophisticated method of estimating body composition, which is vastly used, but there is little information on the cluster analysis of Chinese adults of Han nationality. This investigation evaluated developmental mechanism and characteristics of body composition by using estimating skinfold thickness for Chinese adults of Han nationality. Firstly, the sampling measurement method was applied to acquire the indexes of height, weight, cheek skinfold thickness, triceps skinfold thickness, biceps skinfold thickness, subscapular angle skinfold thickness, anterior superior iliac spine skinfold thickness and gastrocnemius skinfold thickness in the area of Lanzhou, Pingliang, Wuweiin Gansu Province among Chinese adults of Han nationality. Additionally, the body composition is estimated by standard statistical BMI value. Finally, the method of cluster analysis is applied to similar characteristics of adults' skinfold thickness. The findings suggested that adults should pay attention to adjust the structure diet, increasing physical activities to reduce the incidence of obesity-related diseases in Lanzhou, and should pay special attention to the occurrence of obesity-related disease in Lanzhou, Pingliang and Wuwei.