What is the purpose of a skin caliper?

The purpose of a skin caliper is to measure the thickness of fat layers, particularly subcutaneous fat. This measurement is essential in fields such as sports medicine and body composition analysis, where understanding an individual's body fat percentage can provide insights into their overall health and fitness levels. Skin calipers usually consist of two jaws that are used to pinch the skinfold, allowing for an accurate measurement of the fat layer beneath the skin, which can then be used to estimate body fat percentage.

In the context of the other options, measuring body temperature, assessing skin texture, and evaluating circulation do not involve the use of a skin caliper. Temperature measurement typically requires thermometers, skin texture assessment relies on tactile examination, and circulation evaluation often involves techniques like checking pulse or skin color rather than fat layer thickness measurement. Hence, the correct focus of the skin caliper aligns exclusively with measuring the thickness of fat layers.