Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of a hydrostatic weighing method using total lung capacity (measuring vital capacity with a respirometer at the time of weighing) the prone position, and a small oblong tank. The validity of the method was established by comparing the TLC prone (tank) method against three hydrostatic weighing methods administered in a pool. The three methods included residual volume seated, TLC seated and TLC prone. Eighty male and female subjects were underwater weighed using each of the four methods. Validity coefficients for per cent body fat between the TLC prone (tank) method and the RV seated (pool), TLC seated (pool) and TLC prone (pool) methods were .98, .99 and .99, respectively. A randomised complete block ANOVA found significant differences between the RV seated (pool) method and each of the three TLC methods with respect to both body density and per cent body fat. The differences were negligible with respect to HW error. Reliability of the TLC prone (tank) method was established by weighing twenty subjects three different times with ten-minute time intervals between testing. Multiple correlations yielded reliability coefficients for body density and per cent body fat values of .99 and .99, respectively. It was concluded that the TLC prone (tank) method is valid, reliable and a favourable method of hydrostatic weighing.