Waist Circumference as a Predictor of Disability among Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: Few studies have addressed the association between abdominal obesity, as measured by waist circumference (WC), and disability in the elderly. Moreover, those studies were cross-sectional and yielded inconsistent results. The objective of this study was to examine longitudinally the association between WC and self-reported disability among older adults. Research Methods and Procedures:A prospective cohort study was conducted from 2001 to 2003 in 3235 persons (1411 men and 1824 women) representative of the noninstitutionalized Spanish population ages 60 years and older. Baseline information was collected by home-based personal interviews and measurement of WC, weight, and height. Two years later, information on disability was obtained by telephone interview. The association of interest was summarized with odds ratios obtained by logistic regression. Results: Among persons reporting no disability at baseline, WC predicted disability 2 years later. After adjustment for age, education, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, men in the highest WC quintile had 2.17 (95% confidence interval, 1.15 to 4.09) times more risk of mobility disability and 4.77 (95% confidence interval, 2.50 to 9.13) times more risk of agility disability than those in the lowest quintile. Additional adjustment for BMI, chronic diseases, and cognitive function led to only a slight reduction in this association. Results were similar for women. No statistically significant association was observed between WC and restriction of daily activities, limitation in instrumental activities of daily living, and limitation in bathing or dressing, in either men or women. Discussion: WC predicts mobility and agility disability in old age. Avoidance of the highest values of WC might decrease the risk of disability in older adults.

Associação entre incapacidade funcional e capital social em idosos residentes em comunidade

“…In our study, the disability of IADL was more frequent than the inability of ADL, results of which are considered consistent with other literatures 3,6,24 . The ADL is related to the survival and it requires the need of caregivers, whereas the IADL involves greater complexity degree for implementation and precedes the ADL 3 .…”

“…However, in the study of the PNAD 23 , the measure of functional disability restricted themselves to the activity of walking about 100 m and the inability of ADL, among the Iranians, was evaluated. The prevalence was lower, however, than the one found among Spanish elderly (71.7%) 24 , but in this study the measure of disability was broader, covering not only the ADL and IADL, but also activities of mobility. Therefore, the prevalence of disability among the elderly in the RMBH was higher than the one observed in studies in which its operation was proven to be more restricted in terms of activities, and lower than the studies in which a broader criterion to measure disability was adopted.…”

Obesidad en la tercera edad

“…A pesar de estas limitantes, aun seguimos utilizando este tipo de medición por ser práctica en el día a día. Esta se puede complementar con la medición del perímetro abdominal y relacionarse con la morbimortalidad y con la discapacidad (17,18) . Según la Federación Internacional de Diabetes (FID o IDF), las medidas para determinar obesidad en el hombre es ≥ 90 cm en el hombre y ≥ 80 cm en la mujer.…”

Sitting Time and Mortality in Older Adults With Disability: A National Cohort Study

“…We used data from the UAM-cohort, comprising 4008 individuals representative of the non-institutionalized population aged 60 years and older in Spain (15,16). This cohort was established in 2000/2001 using probabilistic sampling by multistage clusters.…”