The accuracy data
Peer-reviewed comparisons put the Army-Navy method within ±3% of DEXA for most adults.
It's less accurate at the extremes — very lean athletes and higher-body-fat individuals — but reliable in the middle 80%.
It's more accurate than most skinfold caliper protocols in untrained hands.
How to measure well
Relaxed posture, tape flat against skin, no compression.
Neck: below the larynx, tape angled slightly down.
Waist: navel level for men; narrowest point for women.
Hips (women only): widest point at the buttocks.
Measure twice, use the average.
