BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a societal trend toward increasing obesity and a natural tendency for physical performance to decrease with age. Our purpose was to describe the adiposity of elderly women participating in a health screening and to determine the relationship between their adiposity and both observed and self-reported physical performance. METHODS: Subjects were 104 communitydwelling elderly women (74.9+/-7.5 years). Their adiposity was described using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio. Physical performance was characterized using timed sit-to-stand, unilateral standing, 25-foot walk and the Physical Functioning subscale of the SF-36. Habitual activity was summarized as the number of daily hours patients estimated they spent moving about on their feet. RESULTS: The majority of women had excessive adiposity. Greater adiposity was associated with worse physical performance. Both Pearson correlations and multiple regression revealed BMI to be significantly predictive of all physical performance measures. Age added to the explanation of walking time and unilateral stance time. Time moving about contributed to the explanation of self-reported physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity should be documented as part of the physical therapist examination of elderly women. It may be an appropriate target of intervention if physical performance is limited.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a societal trend toward increasing obesity and a natural tendency for physical performance to decrease with age. Our purpose was to describe the adiposity of elderly women participating in a health screening and to determine the relationship between their adiposity and both observed and self-reported physical performance. METHODS: Subjects were 104 communitydwelling elderly women (74.9+/-7.5 years). Their adiposity was described using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio. Physical performance was characterized using timed sit-to-stand, unilateral standing, 25-foot walk and the Physical Functioning subscale of the SF-36. Habitual activity was summarized as the number of daily hours patients estimated they spent moving about on their feet. RESULTS: The majority of women had excessive adiposity. Greater adiposity was associated with worse physical performance. Both Pearson correlations and multiple regression revealed BMI to be significantly predictive of all physical performance measures. Age added to the explanation of walking time and unilateral stance time. Time moving about contributed to the explanation of self-reported physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity should be documented as part of the physical therapist examination of elderly women. It may be an appropriate target of intervention if physical performance is limited.
Authors: Gláucia R Falsarella; Ibsen B Coimbra; Caroline C Barcelos; Isabele Iartelli; Kedma T Montedori; Manuela N J Santos; Anita L Neri; Arlete M V Coimbra Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2014-01-31 Impact factor: 3.921
Authors: M Brad Cannell; Julie C Weitlauf; Lorena Garcia; Elena M Andresen; Karen L Margolis; Todd M Manini Journal: BMC Womens Health Date: 2015-11-11 Impact factor: 2.809
Authors: Mark H Edwards; Suzan van der Pas; Michael Dieter Denkinger; Camille Parsons; Karen A Jameson; Laura Schaap; Sabina Zambon; Maria-Victoria Castell; Florian Herbolsheimer; Hans Nasell; Mercedes Sanchez-Martinez; Angel Otero; Thorsten Nikolaus; Natasja M van Schoor; Nancy L Pedersen; Stefania Maggi; Dorly J H Deeg; Cyrus Cooper; Elaine Dennison Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2014-06-10 Impact factor: 10.668