Limited stair-climbing ability and weight control in family medicine patients.
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.
Rohrer
James E
JE
Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. rohrer.james@mayo.edu
Barnes
Darryl E
DE
Adamson
Steven C
SC
Altrichter
Paul M
PM
Yapuncich
Victor P
VP
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