title: Body weight as an indicator of fat-free mass in active elderly women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fat-free mass (FFM) reduction and the tendency for a reduction in surrounding fatty issue and increase in the middle are a natural consequence of growing old and should be studied in order to gain a better understanding of the aging process. This study set out to find the FFM differences between active elderly women in two age groups (60-69 and 70-80 years) and to determine which of the anthropometric measurements, body weight (BW), abdominal circumference (AC), or body mass index (BMI) are the best predictors of FFM variation within the group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one (n=81) active elderly women of the Third Age willingly signed up to participate in the research during the activities at the University of the Third Age (UTA) in Brazil. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). Body weight (BW), height (H) and the BMI were measured according to the international standards. The AC was measured in centimetres at the H of the navel and body composition was ascertained using bioimpedance analysis. The SAS program was used to perform the statistical analysis of independent samples and parametric data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed FFM values with significant differences between the two groups, with the lowest values occurring among the women who were over 70 years of age. In the analysis, the Pearson's Correlation Coefficient for each measured independent variable was ascertained, with the BW measurement showing the highest ratio (0.900).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BW measurement was regarded as reliable, low-cost and easy to use for monitoring FFM in elderly women who engage in physical activities.
authors.affiliation: State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), University Campus Zeferino Vaz, Physical Education Institute, Department for Adapted Physical Activity Studies, Rua Érico Veríssimo, 701, Zip: 13083-851, PO Box 6134, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. j.girnos@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jaqueline G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sonati
authors.forename: Dênis M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Modeneze
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilarta
authors.forename: Erika S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: Estela M A
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Boccaletto
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001825:Body Fluid Compartments / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results