The term "skinfold thicknesses" refers to a measurement used in body composition analysis. It is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription /skɪnfəʊld ˈθɪknəsɪz/. The first syllable is pronounced with a short "i" vowel sound and the "s" and "k" sounds blend together. The word "fold" is spelled with an "f" instead of a "v," and the final syllable is emphasized. The plural form is indicated by the suffix "-es." Overall, the spelling of this word accurately reflects its pronunciation.
Skinfold thicknesses refer to the measurements taken using a skinfold caliper to assess the thickness of subcutaneous fat, which is the fat located just beneath the skin. This method is commonly used in anthropometry, which is the measurement of human body dimensions, primarily used for assessing body composition or determining fat distribution.
The skinfold caliper is a device that helps measure the thickness of skinfold at specific sites on the body. By pinching the skin and underlying fat at these sites, the caliper provides an estimation of subcutaneous fat thickness. The most common areas where skinfold thicknesses are measured include the triceps, biceps, subscapular, and suprailiac sites, among others.
Skinfold thicknesses are utilized to estimate the amount of subcutaneous fat in the body, which is indicative of a person's body fat percentage, particularly in relation to total body fat. By taking measurements from multiple skinfold sites and using regression equations, body fat percentage can be estimated with reasonable accuracy.
These measurements are often incorporated in various methods of body composition analysis, such as the Jackson-Pollock formula or the Durnin-Womersley equation. The results can provide valuable information for health professionals, sports scientists, and fitness experts in assessing body fat levels, monitoring changes in body composition, and creating individualized exercise or dietary plans.
Overall, skinfold thicknesses serve as a practical and non-invasive method to estimate body fat percentage, contributing to the assessment of overall health and fitness.
The word "skinfold thicknesses" does not have a specific etymology, as it is a term that is composed of two separate words. Here is the breakdown of the etymology for each word:
1. Skinfold: The word "skinfold" is a compound word consisting of "skin" and "fold". "Skin" comes from the Old Norse word "skinn" and Old English word "scinn", which originally referred to the outer covering of humans and animals. "Fold" comes from the Old English word "fealdan", meaning "to fold or bend".
2. Thicknesses: The word "thickness" comes from the Middle English word "thiknesse", which derives from the Old English word "thicness". It encompasses the meaning of being dense, bulky, or having substantial depth. The plural form "thicknesses" simply refers to multiple instances of thickness.