Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T14:04:24.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Anthropometric indices predict physical function and mobility in older Australians: the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2006

Elaine Bannerman ,
Michelle D Miller ,
Lynne A Daniels ,
Lynne Cobiac ,
Lynne C Giles ,
Craig Whitehead ,
Gary R Andrews  and
Maria Crotty
Elaine Bannerman
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia
Michelle D Miller
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation & Ageing Studies Unit, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia
Lynne A Daniels
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia
Lynne Cobiac
Affiliation:
CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition Adelaide, South Australia
Lynne C Giles
Affiliation:
Computing Services, Flinders University of South Australia
Craig Whitehead
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation & Ageing Studies Unit, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia
Gary R Andrews
Affiliation:
Centre for Ageing Studies, Flinders University of South Australia
Maria Crotty*
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation & Ageing Studies Unit, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

To evaluate, in terms of function and mobility, the predictive value of commonly adopted anthropometric ‘definitions’ used in the nutritional assessment of older adults, in a cohort of older Australians.

Design:

Prospective cohort study – Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ALSA).

Setting:

Adelaide, South Australia (1992–1994).

Subjects:

Data were analysed from 1272 non-institutionalised (685 males, 587 females) older adults ≥70 years old in South Australia. Seven ‘definitions’ commonly used in the anthropometric assessment of both under- and overnutrition (including four using body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference and percentage weight change) were evaluated at baseline, for their ability to predict functional and mobility limitation assessed (by self-report questionnaire) at two years follow-up. All questionnaires were administered and anthropometry performed by trained investigators. The associations between the definitions and decline in mobility and physical function were evaluated over two years using multiple logistic regression.

Results:

A BMI >85th percentile or >30 kgm−2 or a waist circumference of >102 cm in males and >88 cm in females increased risk of functional and mobility limitations. Over two years, a loss of 10% body weight significantly increased the risk of functional and mobility limitations.

Conclusion:

Maintaining weight within older adults, irrespective of initial body weight, may be important in preventing functional and mobility limitations. Excessive weight is associated with an increased risk of limitation in function and mobility, both key components of health-related quality of life.

Keywords

ElderlyProspective studyBody mass indexWeight lossWaist circumferenceMobilityFunctionRisk factors
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 5 , Issue 5 , December 2002 , pp. 655 - 662
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2002

References

1Morgan, DB, Newton, HM, Schorah, CJ, Jewitt, MA, Hancock, MR, Hullin, RP. Abnormal indices of nutrition in the elderly: a study of different clinical groups. Age & Ageing 1986;15(2):65–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2LaCroix, A, Guralnik, J, Berkman, L, Wallace, R, Satterfield, S. Maintaining mobility in late life. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1993;137(8):858–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Launer, L, Harris, T, Rumpel, C, Madans, J. Body mass index, weight change, and risk of mobility disability in middle-aged and older women: the epidemiologic follow-up study of NHANES I. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1994;271(14):1093–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Ponzer, S, Tidermark, J, Brismar, K, Soderqvist, A, Cederholm, T. Nutritional status, insulin-like growth factor-1 and quality of life in elderly women with hip fractures. Clin. Nutr. 1999;18(4):241–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Larsson, J, Akerlind, I, Permerth, J, Hornqvist, J. The relation between nutritional state and quality of life in surgical patients. Eur. J. Surg. 1994;160(6–7):329–34.Google ScholarPubMed
6Campbell, A, Spears, G, Brown, J, Busby, W, Borrie, M. Anthropometric measurements as predictors of mortality in a community population aged 70 years and over. Age & Ageing 1990;19:131–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Matilla, K, Haavisto, M, Rajala, S. Body mass index and mortality in the elderly. Br. Med. J. 1986;292:867–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Harris, T, Cook, E, Garrison, R, Higgins, M, Kannel, W, Goldman, L. Body mass index and mortality among nonsmoking older persons. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1988;259(10):1520–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Calle, E, Thun, M, Petrelli, J, Rodriguez, C, Health, C. Body-mass index and mortality in a prospective cohort of US adults. N. Engl. J. Med. 1999;341(15):1097–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Sullivan, DH, Walls, RC, Lipschitz, DA. Protein-energy undernutrition and the risk of mortality within 1 y of hospital discharge in a select population of geriatric rehabilitation patients. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1991;53(3):599–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Gibson, R. Principles of Nutritional Assessment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.Google Scholar
12Bannerman, E, Reilly, JJ, MacLennan, WJ, Kirk, T, Pender, F. Evaluation of validity of British anthropometric reference data for assessing nutritional state of elderly people in Edinburgh: cross sectional study. Br. Med. J. 1997;315(7104):338–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Launer, LJ, Harris, T. Weight, height and body mass index distributions in geographically and ethnically diverse samples of older persons. Ad Hoc Committee on the Statistics of Anthropometry and Aging. Age & Ageing 1996;25(4):300–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Delarue, J, Constans, T, Malvy, D, Pradignac, A, Couet, C, Lamisse, F. Anthropometric values in an elderly French population. Br. J. Nutr. 1994;71(2):295–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Friedman, P. A prospective comparison of methods to identify lethal wasting malnutrition. Nutr. Res. 1986;6:139–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16James, W, Ferro-Luzzi, A, Waterlow, J. Definition of chronic energy deficiency in adults. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1988; 42: 969–81.Google ScholarPubMed
17Garrow, J, Webster, J. Quetelet's index (W/H2) as a measure of fatness. Int. J. Obes. 1985;9:147–53.Google ScholarPubMed
18McWhirter, J, Pennington, C. Incidence and recognition of malnutrition in hospital. Br. Med. J. 1994;308:5–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19World Health Organization (WHO). Use and Interpretation of Anthropometric Indicators of Nutritional Status. Report of a WHO Working Group, No. 64(b). Geneva: WHO, 1986.Google Scholar
20Andrews, G, Cheok, F, Carr, S. The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Aust. J. Ageing 1989;8:31–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Andrews, G. The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing and a Collaborative Study of Aging in the US and Australia. Adelaide: Flinders University of South Australia, 1992.Google Scholar
22World Health Organization (WHO). Physical Status: The Use and Interpretation of Anthropometry. Report of a WHO Expert Committee, No. 854. Geneva: WHO, 1995.Google Scholar
23World Health Organization (WHO), Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Geneva: WHO, 3–5 06 1997.Google Scholar
24Wahlqvist, M. Food and Nutrition: Australasia, Asia and the Pacific. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1997.Google Scholar
25National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council, 1999.Google Scholar
26Rosow, I, Breslau, N. A Guttman health scale for the aged. J. Gerontol. 1966;21(4):556–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Nagi, S. An epidemiology of disability among adults in the United States. Milbank Mem. Fund Quart. – Health & Society 1976;54(4):439–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Smith, LA, Branch, LG, Scherr, PA, Wetle, TA, Evans, DA, Herbert, L, Taylor, JO. Short-term variability of measures of physical function in older people. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1990;38:993–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Beckett, LA, Brock, DB, Lemke, JH, Mendes de Leon, CF, Guralnik, JM, Fillenbaum, GG, Branch, LG, Wettle, TT, Evans, DA. Analysis of change in self-reported physical function among older persons in four population studies. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1996;143:766–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Katz, S, Akpom, C. A measure of sociobiological functions. Int. J. Health Serv. 1976;6:493–507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Radloff, L. The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl. Psychol. Meas. 1977;1:385–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Folstein, M, Folstein, S, McHugh, P. ‘Mini-mental state’. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J. Psychiat. Res. 1975;12(3):189–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33Bjorntorp, P. Classification of obese patients and complications related to the distribution of surplus fat. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1987;45(5):1120–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34Han, T, van Leer, E, Seidell, J, Lean, M. Waist circumference action levels in the identification of cardiovascular risk factors: prevalence study in a random sample. Br. Med. J. 1995;311(7017):1401x–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35Lean, M, Han, T, Morrison, C. Waist circumference as a measure for indicating need for weight management. Br. Med. J. 1995;311:158–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36Kuczmarski, M, Kuczmarski, R, Najjar, M. Effects of age on validity on self-reported height, weight and BMI: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2001;101(1):28–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37Brill, P, Giles, W, Keenan, N. Effect of body mass index on activity limitation and mortality among older women: the national health interview survey, 1986–1990. J. Women's Health 1997;6(4):435–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38Ensrud, K, Nevitt, M, Yunis, C. Correlates of impaired function in older women. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1994;42:481–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Galanos, A, Pieper, C, Cornoni-Huntley, J, Bales, C, Fillenbaum, G. Nutrition and function: is there a relationship between body mass index and the functional capabilities of community-dwelling elderly? J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1994;42:368–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40Landi, F, Zuccala, G, Gambassi, G. Body mass index and mortality among older people living in the community. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1999;47:1072–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41Manandhar, M, Anklesaria, P, Myatt, M, Ismail, S. Undernutrition and functional ability amongst poor elderly people in urban India. Paper presented at Second European Congress on Nutrition and Health in the Elderly, Elsinore, Denmark, 1996.Google Scholar
42Harris, T, Kovar, M, Suzman, R. Longitudinal study of physical ability in the oldest-old. Am. J. Public Health 1989;79:698–702.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43Jensen, G, Kita, K, Fish, J, Heydt, D, Frey, C. Nutrition risk screening characteristics of rural older persons: relation to functional limitations and health care charges. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1997;66(4):819–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
44Baumgartner, R. Body composition in elderly persons: a critical review of needs and methods. Prog. Food Nutr. Sci. 1993;17(3):223–60.Google Scholar
45Allison, DB, Zannolli, R, Faith, MS, Heo, M, Pietrobelli, A, VanItallie, TB, Pi-Sunyer, FX, Heymsfield, SB. Weight loss increases and fat loss decreases all-cause mortality rate: results from two independent cohort studies. Int. J. Obes. 1999;23:603–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
46Lehmann, A. Review: undernutrition in elderly people. Age & Ageing 1989;18:339–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
47Whitehead, C, Giles, L, Andrews, G, Finucane, P. Anthropometric and laboratory markers of nutritional status in a large sample of elderly Australians: the ALSA study. Aust. J. Ageing 2000;19(2):85–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
48Steen, B. Body composition and ageing [review]. Nutr. Rev. 1988;46(2):45–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
49Lehmann, A, Bassey, E, Morgan, K, Dallosso, H. Normal values for weight, skeletal size and body mass indices in 890 men and women aged over 65 years. Clin. Nutr. 1991;10:18–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
50Lean, ME, Han, TS, Deurenberg, P. Predicting body composition by densitometry from simple anthropometric measurements. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1996;63(1):4–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed