Investigating The Effects Of Obesity On Fitness Among Community-dwelling Older Adults In Taiwan

Abstract

Obesity is a critical health issue, increasing the risk for chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease, in the elderly. However, the impact of obesity on physical fitness, which is important for functional performance of daily activities among the community-dwelling elderly, has not been evaluated. PURPOSE: We investigated obesity-related changes in physical fitness among community-dwelling elderly individuals. METHODS: Sixty-nine elderly individuals (67 women and 2 men; age, 73.26±6 years) were recruited and classified into the obese (BMI ≥27.0 kg/m2, n=17) or non-obesity (BMI <27.0 kg/m2, n=52) group. Weight, height, and waist girth were measured for all individuals. The following physical fitness tests were evaluated: back scratch, sit-and- reach, 30-s sit-to-stand, 2-min leg lift, single leg balance, and the timed up-and-go (8 feet walk distance). Between-group differences were evaluated using independent sample t-tests, with a p-value <0.05 denoting statistical significance (SPSS statistical software, version 19.0). RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was 24.6% in our study group. Weight and waist girth were lower in the non-obese than in the obese group: 19% (t (67) =5.492, p<0.01) and 13% (t (67) = 3.443, p=0.001), respectively. Performance on the back scratch test and single leg balance was better for the non-obese than for the obese group: back scratch (-22.9±15.3 cm versus -10.1±16.1 cm, respectively, p=0.005) and single leg balance (12.4±14.8 s versus 26.1±31.7 s, respectively, p=0.018). Performance for the non-obese and obese group was comparable on the sit-and-reach test (7.9±13.7 cm versus 7.0±8.0 cm, respectively, p=0.790), 30-s sit-to-stand (19.3±5.3 repetitions versus 18.1±3.5, respectively, p=0.412) and 2-min leg lift (131.9±36.9 repetitions versus 114.7±25.5, respectively, p=0.079). CONCLUSIONS: We identified some effects of obesity among community-dwelling elderly individuals, such as single leg balance, which could lead to restriction in activities of daily living and an increased risk of falling.