Performance of CUN-BAE in Assessing Adiposity and Visceral Fat: A Validation Study Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis in a Mexican Population.

Background/

Objectives

This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE) against bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in 204 adults.

Methods

We evaluated CUN-BAE and body mass index (BMI) as continuous predictors of body fat percentage, total fat mass, and visceral fat.

Results

BMI showed stronger correlations with visceral fat (r = 0.941 vs. 0.850) and total fat mass (r = 0.968 vs. 0.828),while CUN-BAE showed a slightly stronger correlation with body fat percentage (r = 0.918 vs. 0.884), the parameter it was designed to estimate. CUN-BAE displayed only a weak correlation with muscle mass (r = 0.153), supporting its specificity for adiposity assessment, whereas BMI showed a moderate correlation with muscle mass (r = 0.551), reflecting its weight-dependent nature.

Conclusions

Overall, BMI remains a practical marker of absolute fat mass and visceral adiposity, while CUN-BAE may provide a more refined estimate of relative body fat percentage. Tool selection should be guided by the clinical objective and interpreted as complementary rather than competing measures.