Impact of childhood experience of famine on late life health.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines whether experience of famine during late childhood affect late life health.


METHODS
Cross sectional cohort survey carried out from 2001-2004.


METHODS
Community in Hong Kong.


METHODS
1,906 men and 1,826 women aged >or= 65 years living in the community.


METHODS
We examined the impact of experience of famine during late childhood, defined as caloric restriction for at least one year, on body mass index, body composition using DEXA, grip strength, walking speed and stride length, blood pressure, and ankle-brachial index,using logistic regression adjusting for various co-variates (age, lifestyle, socioeconomic factors).


RESULTS
Participants who had been exposed to a period of undernutrition in late childhood were shorter, had higher body mass index (BMI) and appendicular lean mass/height2, higher prevalence of recurrent falls, higher prevalence of myocardial infarct, arthritis and back pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Late childhood undernutrition has some adverse impact on late life health and functional outcomes.
Woo
J
J
Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong. jeanwoowong@cuhk.edu.hk
Leung
J C S
JC
Wong
S Y S
SY
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013217:Starvation / Q000503:physiopathology*