Association of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference With Physical Functioning: The Vitality 90+ Study.
BACKGROUND
Both obesity and underweight are associated with impaired physical functioning, but related information on the oldest old population is scarce. Our purpose was to examine whether body mass index, waist circumference (WC), and their combination are associated with physical performance and activities of daily living (ADL) disability in 90-year-old women and men.


METHODS
Data are from the Vitality 90+ Study, which is a population-based study of persons with age ≥90 years living in the area of Tampere, Finland. Altogether 416 women and 153 men, aged 90-91 years, provided data on body mass index, WC, chair stand, and Barthel Index. Comorbidity, physical exercise, smoking history, living residence, and sample year were used as covariates in multinomial logistic and logistic regression models.


RESULTS
Women in the highest WC tertile had lower physical performance and were more likely unable to perform the chair stand than women in the lowest WC tertile. Women in the highest WC tertile were also more likely to have ADL disability, compared to the lowest WC tertile. In women, overweight and obesity were associated with ADL disability, but not when WC was included in the model. Men with body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2) and WC < sex-specific median were less likely to have ADL disability. Similarly classified women were less likely to have low performance or unable to perform chair stand (marginally significant).


CONCLUSIONS
High WC in the oldest old women, but not in men, is associated with both poor physical performance and ADL disability.
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. inna.lisko@uta.fi.
Inna
I
Lisko
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.
Sari
S
Stenholm
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland.
Jani
J
Raitanen
Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland. Center of Laboratory Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
Mikko
M
Hurme
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Antti
A
Hervonen
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Marja
M
Jylhä
School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland. Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere and University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Kristina
K
Tiainen
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D013851:Thinness / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055105:Waist Circumference
Abdominal obesity; Body composition; Functional status; Nonagenarians.