Relationship between anthropometric nutritional status and functional capacity in older adults living in the community

Differences in quality of life and fitness level among men and women in the adulthood: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine the associations between physical fitness components and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults stratified by sex and age. In addition, we aimed to examine whether these associations change based on socioeconomic, clinical, and biochemical characteristics.

METHODS

A total of 297 participants aged 47.41 (standard deviation: 9.08) years from the "Validity of a Model of Accelerated Vascular Aging as a Cardiovascular Risk Index in Healthy Adults: the EVasCu cross-sectional study" were included in this analysis. HRQoL, physical fitness, socioeconomic status (SES), waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured. Additionally, blood samples were extracted to determine cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were estimated to test mean differences in physical and mental health-related health measures (HRQoL) between fitness categories (fixed factors) by sex and age categories.

RESULTS

The physical HRQoL was related to the levels of fitness parameters among women, independent of age, while for men, it was related to better levels of general fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness among men aged < 50 and men aged ≥ 50, respectively. In contrast, mental HRQoL was related to cardiorespiratory fitness only among women aged < 50 years; speed/agility and flexibility among men aged < 50 years; and general fitness, strength, and flexibility among men aged ≥ 50 years. These data did not change when SES, clinical variables, or biochemical determinations were included in the analyses, neither for the physical nor for the mental HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

Gender and age are important factors to be considered when analysing health indicators and influences in the population. In addition, SES, clinical characteristics, and biochemical parameters do not seem to influence the relationship between HRQoL and fitness.

Body composition and functional performance of older adults

Objectives

To determine if anthropometric variables, body composition, medication and gender are associated with functional performance and to compare these variables between octogenarians with high and low functional performance.

Methods

Observational, cross-sectional study. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were evaluated. Handgrip strength (HGS) was assessed. Participants’ body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and functional performance by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). A binomial logistic regression was performed.

Results

One hundred and twenty-two octogenarians were included and separated into high and low function groups. The high function group showed lower values of WHtR (mean difference [MD] = 0.047, P = 0.025) and body fat (BF%) (MD = 3.54, P = 0.032) and higher values of apendicular skeletal muscle mass (ALM) (MD = 3.03, P = 0.001), HGS (MD = 6.11, P = 0.001) and SPPB score (MD = 4.20, P = 0.001). Women were more likely to be classified as low function (OR = 3.66, P = 0.002) and males showed 5.21 odds ratio (P = 0.021) of having high functional performance compared to females. Also, each decrease in age and medication use displayed 1.30 (P = 0.007) and 1.26 odds ratio increases (P = 0.008) in high functional performance.

Conclusions

Older males display better functional performance than women, and decrements in age and medications increase the high functional performance odds ratio. Octogenarians with high functional performance displayed lower BF measurements and higher values of muscle mass and strength.

Differences of body composition and physical strength among Japanese and Thai older adults living in Chiang Mai, Thailand: an inter-ethnic cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The number of adults aged over 65 years is rapidly increasing in several Southeast Asian countries. Muscle mass decreases with age, leading to sarcopenia. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether differences exist in the body composition and physical strength, according to ethnicity, among community-dwelling Japanese and Thai older adults living in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.

METHODS

A survey was conducted in February and March 2019. Japanese and Thai adults aged ≥ 60 years living in Chiang Mai Province were recruited through community clubs. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that enabled collection of data on age, sex, educational background, marital status, annual income, current medical conditions, smoking and alcohol consumption, and exercise habits. Measurements were collected on height, weight, body composition, blood pressure, hand grip, and walking speed for 6 m. Body composition was measured using a standing-posture 8-electrode multifrequency bioimpedance analysis analyzer. Hand grip of each hand was measured with the patient in the standing position using a digital grip dynamometer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with skeletal muscle mass index (SMI).

RESULTS

Of the total 119 participants, 47 were Japanese (26 men, 21 women) and 72 were Thai (16 men, 56 women). The prevalence of a low SMI was 3/26 (12%), 1/21 (5%), 6/16 (38%), and 5/56 (9%) among Japanese men, Japanese women, Thai men, and Thai women, respectively. The prevalence of low muscle strength was 2/26 (8%), 2/21 (10%), 3/16 (19%), and 13/56 (23%) among Japanese men, Japanese women, Thai men, and Thai women, respectively. There were significant differences between ethnic groups in body mass index for both sexes, percentage body fat in women, SMI in men, and average grip strength in men. Ethnic group, sex, age, and body mass index were independent predictors of SMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethnicity had a clinically important effect on body composition and physical strength among older Japanese and Thai adults living in a similar environment.