Associations between body mass index, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference, and functional ability over time in an elderly Taiwanese population

• Published in: PloS one 2017-04, Vol.12 (4), p.e0175062-e0175062
• Main Authors: Tsai, Hsin-Jen, Chang, Fu-Kuei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adults; Aged; Aging; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis; Anthropometry; Arches; Arm - anatomy & histology; Arm circumference; Bathing; Biology and Life Sciences; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body measurements; Cognitive ability; Communities; Correlation analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data processing; Death; Dementia disorders; Demographics; Design; Diet; Electronic mail; Evaluation; Frailty; Gender; Geriatrics; Government programs; Health care; Health risks; Humans; Leg - anatomy & histology; Linear Models; Longitudinal Studies; Mail; Mathematical analysis; Measuring instruments; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mortality; Multivariate Analysis; Neurodegenerative diseases; Nutritional status; Obesity; Older people; Patients; People and Places; Polls & surveys; Population studies; Prospective Studies; Public health; Quality of life; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Sampling; Secondary analysis; Taiwan - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175062

Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MAC), and calf-circumference (CC) are assessed with ease during regular health visits, but the associations between these anthropometric parameters and functional ability in elderly population over time has not been studied in detail. This study aimed to examine the associations between functional ability and the anthropometric parameters BMI, MAC, and CC in Taiwanese adults ≥ 65 years old. Data were obtained from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study of Aging and analyzed retrospectively. Functional decline over a 4- and 8-year period was noted in approximately 14% and 21% of study participants, respectively. BMI was negatively associated with participants' current Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores, and was positively associated with 4-year ADL scores in adults ≥ 65 years old (β = -1.19 and 1.14, P = 0.0010 and 0.0420, respectively). MAC and CC were negatively associated with current ADL scores (β = -1.46, P < 0.0001 and β = -4.68, P < 0.0001, respectively). The association between CC and current ADL score was stronger than the association between current ADL score and either BMI or MAC. For adults ≥ 65 years old, a high BMI increased the risk of ADL decline over 4 and 8 years by 4-fold and 3-fold (adjusted odds ratio = 4.23 and 2.64, 95% confidential interval = 1.95-9.19 and 1.22-5.71, P = 0.0003 and 0.0141, respectively). BMI is a significant predictor of decline of functional ability in Taiwanese adults ≥ 65 years old. CC is an important anthropometric indicator of current functional ability among older adults.