Anthropometry of the upper arm is the body of upper arm measurements. Among the areas that anthropometry measure are triceps, mid-upper arm muscle, and upper arm length. The measurements provide an approximate insight of a person’s fat deposits. Anthropometry values on the other hand cannot be used to compute the overall fat density and deposits of an individual.
Triceps skin fold is one of the three major anthropometric measurements. It is measured by measuring the width of the skin fold that covers a triceps muscle. When measuring triceps skin fold, the subject is made to stand and instructed to raise both his arms sideways, such that the muscles and skin of his upper arms are fully exposed. Using a spring-loaded calliper, the subject’s triceps skin is pulled down and measurements are made four seconds after the calliper is released.
The mid-upper arm circumference is another major anthropometry of the upper arm measurement that is obtained using a tape measure. The third major anthropometry of the upper arm measurement is the upper arm length.
Mid-upper arm circumference and triceps skin fold values combined with constants can be used to derive other upper arm measurements. For example the mid-upper arm area can be computed using the square of a mid-upper circumference divided by pi that is multiplied by four.
There have been some contentions on the accuracy of some derived upper arm measurements. The mid-upper arm muscle circumference, which uses mid-upper arm circumference as a variable, when used with obese or older people, tends to show inaccurate figures. In fact, some values taken for older people have been reported to show error rates of up to 41.5%. Another flaw with this measurement is that it assumes that humerus size is the same for all individuals, when in reality it is not.
There have also been some valid objections made against principal anthropometric measurements. For example triceps skin fold measurement if administered frequently or for too long can affect the density of tissues which could result to inaccurate readings. It is also not an accurate indicator of the extent of body fat in an adult person.
Mid-upper arm circumference typically just considers one arm, when in fact the sizes of the arms of an individual varies depending on several factors such as how often one is used, etcetera.
As evidenced by research and comparative studies, there needs to be more upgrading and improvements made on anthropometry of the upper arm measurements for them to be considered as accurate indicators of body fat presence in individuals.
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