Skin fold thickness

By measuring skin fold thickness at certain locations body fatness can be estimated. It is usually established with the help of anthropometric sliding caliper. Skin fold thickness can be measured at various locations:

a) measurements taken at the back under the shoulder blade, at an angle of 45º to the spine (this measurement corresponds to the natural direction of the skin fold);

b) measurements taken at the stomach, inguinal region, parallel to the paraduodenal fold;

c) measurements taken at the back of the upper arm, at the back of the triceps.

Measurement of the skin fold thickness at the back of the triceps is more frequently used at classes because of its ease and practicality. Measurements are taken at the back of the upper arm. The hand should be close to the body. The skin fold thickness ought to be hold tightly lengthwise, 1cm higher the location of the anthropometric sliding caliper.

PERIOD OF DARK ADAPTATION TECHNIQUE

The test is made with the help of a cardboard black box with the area of 20´ 20 cm. At the corners of the box there must be blue, yellow, red and green small squares of the size 3´ 3 cm.

The student should take the box and stop-watch and get into a dark room. He should put the box at the level of his eyes, at a distance of 40-50 cm and switch on the stop-watch. As soon as he could see yellow and blue small squares in the box, the stop-watch is switched off. This is the period of dark adaptation. Normally it is 30 to 60 sec.

Increased period of dark adaptation indicates vitamin A deficiency in the human body (i.e. hypovitaminosis), which usually results in hemerolopy (i.e. day blindness).

Table 3

Sheame for evaluation of nutritional status

Table 4

Ideal body weight