Association between Physical Condition and Body Composition, Nutrient Intake, Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Lifestyle Habits in Older Spanish Adults.

Maria Del Mar Bibiloni,Marcela González-Gross,Josep Tur,Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza,Antoni Sureda,Joanne Karam,Cristina Bouzas,Raquel Pedrero-Chamizo

doi:10.3390/nu10111608

Abstract

In this study, we assessed physical condition and its association with body composition, nutrient intake, sociodemographic characteristics, and lifestyle habits in older Spanish adults. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 380 individuals (54% women; men aged 55–80 years and women aged 60–80 years) with no previously documented cardiovascular disease. A general questionnaire was used, and body weight, height, fat, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, and waist circumference were assessed. Physical condition measurements included handgrip strength (HGS) and agility/dynamic balance by eight-foot time up-and-go (8-f TUG) test. The lowest maximum HGS score (kg) was found in older participants, inactive men, and men with abdominal obesity. The highest maximum 8-f TUG score (s) was found in older and inactive, low education, low income, and abdominal obesity and overfat participants; 24.5% of participants had low maximum HGS and 36.8% had a high 8-f TUG score. Sex- and/or age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for low maximum HGS in women, older participants, overweight and overfat participants were 4.6, 2.9, 0.6 and 0.6 respectively. Sex and/or age adjusted OR for high maximum 8-f TUG in women, overweight, overfat, and abdominally obese participants were 2.4, 1.6, 1.7, and 3.4, respectively; in participants with higher education, those who earned €900 or more per month, and slightly active and active participants had OR values of 0.4, 0.4, and 0.3, respectively. Sarcopenia incidence was 0.3%; however, 4.5% of men and 19.1% of women registered low physical condition (high and low scores in 8-f TUG and HGS tests, respectively). Overall, 36.8%, 24.5%, and 0.3% of participants had high maximum 8-f TUG score, low maximum HGS, and sarcopenia, respectively. Prevalence of these low values varies according to sociodemographic and body composition variables.

Highlights

The current prevalence of and the expected increase in the elderly population is an important health challenge in our society
We found that dependent variables were not normally distributed for sex and many sociodemographic, body composition, and lifestyle variables
Significant differences in maximum handgrip strength (HGS) were found by leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) groups, with the lowest median maximum HGS in inactive men (35.6 kg, IQR: 6.2)

Summary

Introduction

The current prevalence of and the expected increase in the elderly population is an important health challenge in our society. An increase in age-related diseases, including frailty, is expected. Adverse health outcomes of aging, including falls, hospitalisation, institutionalization, and mortality, are the effect of impaired homeostatic reserve and reduced capacity of the organism to withstand stress, characterised by physical weakness, reduced physical activity, and performance that usually accompany frailty [3,4]. A key component of frailty is sarcopenia—a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and low muscle strength or performance that occurs with advancing age [4,5]. Sarcopenia is defined as a low muscle mass accompanied by either low muscle strength or low physical performance [4]. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) differentiated between presarcopenia (low muscle mass), sarcopenia (low muscle mass plus low muscle strength or physical condition), and severe sarcopenia (low muscle mass plus low muscle strength plus physical condition) [8]

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Conclusion