Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of the current study was to establish the prevalence and relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) with chronic health conditions and their associated socio-demographic correlates in the elderly population of Singapore.MethodsThe data was extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study, a comprehensive single phase, cross-sectional, population-based, epidemiological study conducted in 2013 among Singaporean residents (n = 2565) aged 60 years and above with a mean age of 72.7 years (range 60 to 105, SD = 9.53). The respondents were assessed with anthropometric measurements including height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and WHR. Participants provided information on their socio-demographic details and chronic health conditions.ResultsPrevalence of those who were obese, overweight, normal and underweight based on BMI was 8.7 %, 33.4 %, 52.5 % and 5.5 % respectively. Malays were more likely to be overweight compared to Chinese and Indians, while Malays and Indians were more likely to be obese compared to Chinese. Participants who were never married were less likely to be overweight compared to married. Participants aged 85 years and above were more likely to be underweight compared to those aged 60-75 years. Prevalence of high WHR (above 0.90 for men and 0.80 for women) was 79.8 % and this was more pervasive amongst Indians. Participants who were homemakers were more likely to have high WHR while those with tertiary education tended to have low WHR. Being overweight was associated with hypertension and heart problems, while obesity was associated with hypertension and diabetes, and a high WHR was associated with hypertension and diabetes. There were no significant differences in the other chronic conditions in this elderly population.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the importance of anthropometric measurements in the elderly and its association with certain chronic physical conditions, indicating their utility in the clinical management of these conditions in the elderly.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-016-0297-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The aim of the current study was to establish the prevalence and relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) with chronic health conditions and their associated socio-demographic correlates in the elderly population of Singapore
Statistics around the world have shown that the proportion of the elderly has been steadily increasing over the last decade [1]
We examined the missing data mechanisms using multiple logistic regression analysis and found that the data were related to age, ethnicity and employment status, suggesting missing not at random (MNAR) (Additional file 1: Table S1)
Summary
The aim of the current study was to establish the prevalence and relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) with chronic health conditions and their associated socio-demographic correlates in the elderly population of Singapore. As of September 2014, the Ministry of Manpower and Singapore Department of Statistics reported that 11.2 % of the population comprised citizens over 65 years compared to 7.8 % in 2004. According to the National Population and Talent Division of Singapore [4], the life expectancy of Singaporeans has increased by 10 years over the last three decades, with the average life expectancy reported as 82 years in 2010. Several changes in the body take place as one ages, namely physiological ageing, which affects body mass and composition even in the absence of diseases [5]. The ageing process involves physiological and nutritional changes that are manifested by height, weight and muscular mass loss and an increase in fat mass, including adipose tissue redistribution, with fat accumulation in the trunk and viscera [6,7,8]. The aging process results in poor energy regulation, reduced hormonal levels and changes in the metabolic rate, which in turn affect their anthropometric measurements and risk of cardiovascular diseases [9]
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