Introduction: Anthropometric measurements are quantitative measurements of the body, assessed using non-invasive methods and tools, and are divided into body size and body composition. They are important for designing therapeutic interventions, nutritional strategies and measuring physical fitness. Purpose: Finding the correlation between calf circumference, corrected calf circumference, calf skinfold and parameters measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, as well as various anthropometric measurements in healthy female students at the University of Ljubljana. Methods: The study included 67 female students. Participants were assessed with questionnaires, measurement of body composition and anthropometric measurements. The obtained results were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression. We set the threshold for statistical significance at p ≤ 0,05. Results: Calf circumference, corrected calf circumference and calf skinfold were all statistically significantly associated with weight (r1 = 0,82; r2 = 0,53; r3 = 0,46; p1,2,3 < 0,001), body mass index (r1 = 0,77; p1 < 0,001; r2 = 0,40; p2 = 0,001; r3 = 0,56; p3 < 0,001) and lean body mass (r1 = 0,33; p1 = 0,007; r2 = 0,19; p2 = 0,026; r3 = -0,72; p3 < 0,001). In addition, calf circumference and calf skinfold were statistically significantly associated with waist circumference (r4 = 0,59; r5 = 0,52; p4,5 < 0,001), waist-to-height ratio (r4 = 0,45; p4 = 0,0001; r5 = 0,55; p5 < 0,001) and body water percentage (r4 = -0,44; r5 = 0,74; p4,5 < 0,001), while corrected calf circumference was associated with phase of the menstrual cycle (r = 0,27; p = 0,026) and height (r = 0,34; p = 0,004). Discussion and conclusion: We found a very strong correlation between calf circumference and body weight as well as body mass index, meaning these measurements could also be used more frequently in practice. The practical utility is also indicated by the use of measurements for which we found a strong correlation. The correlations found between parameters, measured on the calf, and other anthropometric measures and body composition components suggest that simple measurements can represent a quick and accessible tool for a rough estimate of body composition.
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