title: Anthropometric characteristics of hospitalised elderly women: a case-control study.
abstract: This study assessed the anthropometric status of 451 hospitalised female patients aged 70 or over, at their admission to hospital, in reference to 77 healthy women of the same age. The most frequent diseases were circulatory diseases (40.8%), mental disorders (29.9%), respiratory diseases (12.4%), endocrine and metabolic diseases (11.5%), osteomuscular diseases (8.4%), and traumatisms (6.9%). The differences were significantly high for mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), weight, weight/height, and body mass index (BMI). The patients with cancers, blood diseases, mental disorders, respiratory disease, digestive diseases, or traumatisms had the lowest values. All the indicators correlated in a similarly negative way with age. The decreased TSF was more pronounced among subjects with respiratory diseases. Measurement of anthropometric indicators, TSF in particular, should be part of preventive measures aimed at reducing malnutrition and its consequences in a hospital setting.
authors.affiliation: Ecole de Nutrition, 51 A Maillet, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada. slimane.belbraouet@umoncton.ca
authors.forename: Slimane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belbraouet
authors.forename: Nearkasen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Ambroise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tebi
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Debry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012885:Skinfold Thickness