Upper arm anthropometric norms in elderly white subjects.

The purpose of this study was to develop percentile norms for upper arm anthropometry for use in the nutrition assessment of the elderly. This survey involved the measurement of four parameters: triceps skinfold thickness, mid-upper arm circumference, mid-upper arm muscle circumference, and mid-upper arm muscle area. Measurements were collected from 746 white, noninstitutionalized ambulatory elderly persons living in the Cincinnati area. Age- and sex-specific percentile distributions for the four parameters indicated age-related trends. All four parameters were lowered with advancing age in elderly women and men aged 60 to 89 years. The degree of change with age varied among parameters but was consistently greater in elderly women than in men. Elderly women had larger triceps skinfold thickness but smaller mid-upper arm circumference, mid-upper arm muscle circumference, and mid-upper arm muscle area measurements than did elderly men. These anthropometric findings provide useful standards for ambulatory white elderly people. It is evident that upper arm anthropometry changes with age. As a result, an elderly person's nutritional status should not be evaluated with a single standard for the elderly. Surveys of the elderly should use appropriate age standards to ensure an accurate estimation of obesity or undernutrition in the elderly.