Table 2. Baseline comparisons between females and males for NHANES body composition measures using the entire identified dataset.
| Sample Size | BMI (kg•m−2) | Subscapular Skinfold (mm) | Triceps Skinfold (mm) | Waist Girth (cm) | Body Mass (kg) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 1,763 | 26.0 (4.9) | 20.0 (7.7) | 23.0 (7.3) | 90.2 (12.7) | 67.6 (13.5) |
| Male | 1,882 | 26.4 (4.3) | 18.6 (7.2) | 13.7 (6.1) | 95.6 (13.1) | 80.8 (15.2) |
| p-value | 0.012 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.075 (small) | 0.186 (small) | 1.387 (large) | 0.423 (small) | 0.919 (large) | |
| 18–29 Year | ||||||
| Female | 538 | 24.5 (4.6) | 18.9 (7.9) | 21.2 (7.3) | 85.1 (12.9) | 64.7 (12.8) |
| Male | 536 | 25.0 (4.7) | 16.0 (7.5) | 13.2 (7.0) | 87.6 (13.0) | 78.6 (16.3) |
| p-value | 0.039 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.108 (small) | 0.373 (small) | 1.121(large) | 0.194 (small) | 0.945 (large) | |
| 30–39 Year | ||||||
| Female | 267 | 25.9 (5.0) | 20.8 (7.5) | 23.5 (7.2) | 89.5 (12.9) | 69.1 (14.2) |
| Male | 265 | 26.6 (4.0) | 18.8 (6.6) | 13.4 (5.4) | 93.6 (11.0) | 81.4 (14.4) |
| p-value | 0.055 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.138 (small) | 0.282 (small) | 1.596 (large) | 0.345 (small) | 0.861 (large) | |
| 40–49 Year | ||||||
| Female | 213 | 26.8 (5.5) | 21.9 (8.0) | 24.5 (7.5) | 90.3 (12.2) | 70.4 (15.1) |
| Male | 269 | 27.1 (3.9) | 20.2 (7.0) | 13.8 (5.6) | 97.1 (10.7) | 83.8 (13.6) |
| p-value | 0.224 | 0.008 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.070 (small) | 0.223 (small) | 1.637 (large) | 0.600 (medium) | 0.932 (large) | |
| 50–59 Year | ||||||
| Female | 161 | 26.4 (4.8) | 22.1 (7.6) | 24.8 (7.0) | 90.7 (12.2) | 69.2 (12.6) |
| Male | 196 | 26.9 (4.1) | 20.1 (6.8) | 13.6 (5.7) | 99.5 (11.2) | 83.7 (14.4) |
| p-value | 0.123 | 0.005 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.124 (small) | 0.280 (small) | 1.778 (large) | 0.750 (medium) | 1.063 (large) | |
| 60–69 Year | ||||||
| Female | 251 | 27.9 (5.1) | 21.8 (7.2) | 25.2 (6.9) | 95.7 (11.8) | 72.0 (13.7) |
| Male | 231 | 27.7 (4.6) | 21.3 (6.8) | 14.5 (6.1) | 102.2 (12.2) | 84.2 (15.7) |
| p-value | 0.378 | 0.201 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.028 (small) | 0.076 (small) | 1.631 (large) | 0.547 (medium) | 0.832 (large) | |
| 70+ Year | ||||||
| Female | 332 | 26.5 (4.2) | 17.7 (6.9) | 22.0 (6.7) | 94.3 (10.3) | 65.3 (11.4) |
| Male | 385 | 26.6 (4.0) | 18.7 (6.5) | 14.1 (5.7) | 101.22 (11.3) | 78.1 (14.2) |
| p-value | 0.485 | 0.019 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
| Cohen’s d | 0.003 (small) | 0.157 (small) | 1.269 (large) | 0.632 (medium) | 0.984 (large) |
Values are means (standard deviations). Cohen’s d interpreted as small = 0.00–0.49, medium = 0.50–0.79, and large ≥ 0.80 [23]. NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; BMI: body mass index in kilograms (kg)•meter−2; mm: millimeters; cm: centimeters.