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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Apr 24.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009 Oct 7;52(2):e35–e41. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03474.x

Table II.

Original Slaughter equations and corrections for children with cerebral palsy

Population Original Slaughter equation for predicting percentage body fat7
Sum (triceps, subscapular)≤35mm
 Males
  Prepubescenta white % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −1.7
  Prepubescent black % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −3.2
  Pubescent white % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −3.4
  Pubescent black % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −5.2
  Postpubescent white % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −5.5
  Postpubescent black % Body fat=1.21(tri+sub)−0.008(tri+sub)2 −6.8
 Females (all) % Body fat=1.33(tri+sub)−0.013(tri+sub)2 −2.5
Sum (triceps, subscapular)>35mm
 Males (all) % Body fat=0.783(tri+sub)+1.6
 Females (all) % Body fat=0.546(tri+sub)+9.7
Cerebral-palsy-specific corrections to Slaughter-estimated percentage body fatb
Overall correction +12.2
Additional correction for
 Males −5.0
 More severe GMFCS +5.1
 Black race −3.1
 Pubescent +2.0
 Postpubescent −4.6
 Sum (triceps, subscapular) >35mm −3.2
a

Prepubescent, Tanner stage 1, 2; pubescent, Tanner stage 3; postpubescent, Tanner stage 4, 5.

b

Instructions for using these corrections on a given child with CP: always add 12.2 to the Slaughter-estimated percentage body fat. Then, if the individual falls within each of the additional categories, add that respective correction as well. For example, for a black pubescent male at GMFCS level 1 whose sum (triceps, subscapular)<35mm, the predicted percentage body fat=Slaughter percentage body fat+12.2−5.0−3.1+2.0. Tri+sub, triceps skinfold+subscapular skinfold. GMFCS, Gross Motor Function Classification System.