title: Limited stair-climbing ability and weight control in family medicine patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between self-assessed stair-climbing limitation and weight control among family medicine patients, after adjustment for age, gender, marital status, body mass index (BMI), and co-morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 840 adult family medicine patient records drawn from a large family medicine department in Rochester, Minnesota. Weight control was measured as no change or decline in BMI over approximately 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusting for co-morbidity and other confounders using multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that limited stair-climbing ability was unrelated to weight control over approximately 1 year. Instead, patients with BMI > or = 30 were more likely to control their weight (p<0.01), and age exhibited a non-linear relationship with weight control. The odds of weight control were lower for patients between the ages of 36 and 45 years than for those aged 18-35 years (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our sample of family medicine patients, self-assessed stair-climbing limitations did not preclude weight control. Weight gain prevention programmes might be targeted at patients who are entering middle age.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. rohrer.james@mayo.edu
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: Darryl E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Altrichter
authors.forename: Victor P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Yapuncich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult