Lower extremity motor performance and body mass index in elderly people: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
OBJECTIVE
To test the association between body mass index (BMI) and lower extremity motor performance in elderly people.


METHODS
Multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study.


METHODS
A sample of individuals aged 65 and older recruited for the baseline survey of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging.


METHODS
Two thousand six hundred seventy-two individuals (1,436 men, 1,236 women) independent with transfers and toileting and independent or requiring assistance for bathing or dressing.


METHODS
Motor function was assessed using a Motor Performance Test (MPT), with a set of six tasks exploring lower extremity performance (LEP): rising once from a chair, turning in a half circle, tandem walking, standing on one leg, stair climbing, and walking 5 m.


RESULTS
The highest prevalence rates of difficulty in performing the tasks occurred in men and women, respectively, in tandem walking (14%, 28%), stair climbing (17.0%, 43%) and walking 5 m (15%, 30%). In both sexes, moderate (men: odds ratio (OR)=1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.16-3.43; women OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.18-3.65) and severe obesity (men: OR=3.45, 95% CI=1.21-9.89; women: OR=3.16, 95% CI=1.43-6.95) were each independently associated with overall motor performance impairment after adjusting for age, smoking, and comorbidity. Best performance was generally observed in the normal-weight and overweight groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that, in both sexes, overweight is not related to motor impairment. Only in women, low BMI is associated with higher probability of overall motor performance impairment. These data suggest that moderate obesity should be distinguished from severe obesity when assessing the relationship between BMI and LEP.
Sergi
Giuseppe
G
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Division of Geriatrics, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. giuseppe.sergi@unipd.it
Perissinotto
Egle
E
Toffanello
Elena D
ED
Maggi
Stefania
S
Manzato
Enzo
E
Buja
Alessandra
A
Coin
Alessandra
A
Frigo
Anna C
AC
Inelmen
Emine M
EM
Enzi
Giuliano
G
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric