[Multivariate study of the evolution of body dimensions in elderly Chilean women].
Although in medical research the use of longitudinal data to analyze short time periods is frequently required, it does not permit the use of classic statistical methods for chronological series. The objective of this study is to present the possibility and plausibility of using the STATIS method (Structuration des Tableaux A Trois Indices de la Statistique), an explorative method for data analysis, in a study of the body composition of a sample of 57 women over 68 years of age in Santiago, Chile who were observed over a period of 30 months. The variables analyzed (measured every 6 months) were the following anthropometric measurements: weight, height, arm circumference, calf circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference and knee height. The results obtained suggested a regular chronological evolution during the first 24 months of observation with a change in structure after 30 months of the study, thereby classifying subjects according to body composition.
Lera
Lydia
L
Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
Albala
Cecilia
C
Santos
José Luis
JL
Arroyo
Patricia
P
García
Carola
C
Bunout
Daniel
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001824:Body Constitution; D002677:Chile; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors