Smartphone three-dimensional imaging for body composition assessment using non-rigid avatar reconstruction

• Published in: Frontiers in medicine Vol. 11; p. 1485450
• Main Authors: Tinsley, Grant M., Rodriguez, Christian, Florez, Christine M., Siedler, Madelin R., Tinoco, Ethan, McCarthy, Cassidy, Heymsfield, Steven B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 07.10.2024
• Subjects: 3D scanning; body fat; digital anthropometry; Medicine; optical imaging; smartphone; digital anthropometry; smartphone; optical imaging; 3D scanning; body fat
• ISSN: 2296-858X; 2296-858X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1485450

Modern digital anthropometry applications utilize smartphone cameras to rapidly construct three-dimensional humanoid avatars, quantify relevant anthropometric variables, and estimate body composition. In the present study, 131 participants ([73 M, 58 F] age 33.7 ± 16.0 y; BMI 27.3 ± 5.9 kg/m , body fat 29.9 ± 9.9%) had their body composition assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a smartphone 3D scanning application using non-rigid avatar reconstruction. The performance of two new body fat % estimation equations was evaluated through reliability and validity statistics, Bland-Altman analysis, and equivalence testing. In the reliability analysis, the technical error of the measurement and intraclass correlation coefficient were 0.5-0.7% and 0.996-0.997, respectively. Both estimation equations demonstrated statistical equivalence with DXA based on ±2% equivalence regions and strong linear relationships (Pearson's 0.90; concordance correlation coefficient 0.89-0.90). Across equations, mean absolute error and standard error of the estimate values were ~ 3.5% and ~ 4.2%, respectively. No proportional bias was observed. While continual advances are likely, smartphone-based 3D scanning may now be suitable for implementation for rapid and accessible body measurement in a variety of applications.