Table 3.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution in adults stratified for sex and BMI
| Abdomen | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Men | ||||||||
| BMI | sSAT (mm) | dSAT (mm) | tSAT (mm) | sSAT/dSAT | BMI | sSAT (mm) | dSAT (mm) | tSAT (mm) | sSAT/dSAT |
| Normal weight | 8.18 ± 3.37 (n = 300)a | 11.07 ± 5.56 (n = 252)a | 17.48 ± 8.55 (n = 300)a | 0.92 ± 0.46 (n = 252)a | Normal weight | 6.39 ± 2.16 (n = 601)a | 8.11 ± 5.46 (n = 441)a | 12.34 ± 7.38 (n = 601)a | 1.04 ± 0.47 (n = 441)a |
| Overweight | 11.22 ± 3.71 (n = 132)b | 19.20 ± 7.69 (n = 132)b | 30.42 ± 9.38 (n = 132)b | 0.69 ± 0.41 (n = 132)b | Overweight | 8.61 ± 2.55 (n = 376)b | 14.26 ± 7.58 (n = 358)b | 22.19 ± 9.50 (n = 376)b | 0.77 ± 0.38 (n = 358)b |
| Obesity | 11.83 ± 5.22 (n = 81)c | 31.17 ± 8.82 (n = 81)c | 45.00 ± 8.95 (n = 81)c | 0.50 ± 0.30 (n = 81)c | Obesity | 11.25 ± 3.27 (n = 140)c | 28.75 ± 11.44 (n = 140)c | 40.00 ± 12.10 (n = 140)c | 0.46 ± 0.23 (n = 140)c |
| p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Thigh | |||||||||
| Women | Men | ||||||||
| Normal weight | 6.39 ± 1.59 (n = 625)a | 9.24 ± 5.89 (n = 618)a | 15.53 ± 6.89 (n = 625)a | 0.80 ± 0.35 (n = 618)a | Normal weight | 4.45 ± 1.22 (n = 617)a | 4.02 ± 2.08 (n = 277)a | 6.26 ± 2.85 (n = 617)a | 1.19 ± 0.52 (n = 277)a |
| Overweight | 7.43 ± 1.62 (n = 306)b | 12.86 ± 5.57 (n = 305)b | 20.26 ± 6.43 (n = 306)b | 0.63 ± 0.22 (n = 305)b | Overweight | 4.94 ± 1.42 (n = 360)b | 4.93 ± 2.41 (n = 292)b | 8.94 ± 3.46 (n = 360)b | 1.06 ± 0.44 (n = 292)b |
| Obesity | 7.95 ± 2.29 (n = 154)c | 15.79 ± 5.52 (n = 154)c | 23.74 ± 6.81 (n = 154)c | 0.53 ± 0.19 (n = 154)c | Obesity | 5.60 ± 1.39 (n = 135)c | 8.59 ± 3.26 (n = 132)c | 14.00 ± 4.15 (n = 135)c | 0.69 ± 0.34 (n = 132)c |
| p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Hip | Chest | ||||||||
| Normal weight | 7.81 ± 2.44 (n = 378)a | 7.44 ± 4.06 (n = 151)a | 10.79 ± 5.33 (n = 378)a | 1.25 ± 0.58 (n = 151)a | Normal weight | 4.27 ± 1.60 (n = 511)a | 4.93 ± 2.90 (n = 77)a | 5.02 ± 3.14 (n = 511)a | 1.32 ± 0.45 (n = 77)a |
| Overweight | 10.05 ± 3.17 (n = 226)b | 11.18 ± 4.63 (n = 198)b | 19.85 ± 5.71 (n = 226)b | 0.94 ± 0.40 (n = 198)b | Overweight | 6.17 ± 1.87 (n = 303)b | 7.40 ± 5.33 (n = 164)b | 10.18 ± 6.45 (n = 303)b | 1.18 ± 0.51 (n = 164)a |
| Obesity | 11.48 ± 3.97 (n = 117)c | 13.70 ± 4.73 (n = 108)c | 24.12 ± 5.70 (n = 117)c | 0.88 ± 0.43 (n = 108)b | Obesity | 7.60 ± 1.15 (n = 76)c | 10.12 ± 4.97 (n = 75)c | 17.58 ± 5.85 (n = 76)c | 0.86 ± 0.32 (n = 75)b |
| p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Triceps | |||||||||
| Normal weight | 6.47 ± 1.53 (n = 414)a | 8.39 ± 3.25 (n = 395)a | 14.47 ± 4.13 (n = 414)a | 0.85 ± 0.40 (n = 395)a | |||||
| Overweight | 7.46 ± 1.82 (n = 265)b | 12.34 ± 3.78 (n = 265)b | 19.81 ± 4.60 (n = 265)b | 0.65 ± 0.30 (n = 265)b | |||||
| Obesity | 7.80 ± 1.93 (n = 153)b | 14.26 ± 4.00 (n = 153)c | 22.06 ± 4.89 (n = 153)c | 0.57 ± 0.22 (n = 153)b | |||||
| p | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |||||
Data are expressed as mean ± SD. Difference between groups were compared by one-way ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni test as post-hoc test. Letters refer to the differences between groups (a = normal weight vs. overweight and obesity; b = overweight vs. normal weight and obesity; c = obesity vs. normal weight and overweight). A p value in bold type denotes a significant difference (p < 0.05)
Abbreviations: body mass index, BMI; superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue, sSAT; deep subcutaneous adipose tissue, dSAT; total subcutaneous adipose tissue, tSAT