Anthropometric measurements from a cross-sectional survey of community dwelling subjects aged over 90 years of age

Abstract

Objective: To measure anthropometric variables of weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and triceps skin fold thickness (TSF) and produce local percentiles for >90 y old subjects. To assess prevalence of conventional measures of under nutrition (BMI at or below 18.5 kg/m²) or over nutrition (BMI values >30 kg/m²) in this age group.

Design: Community cross-sectional study.

Setting:Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Subjects: 238 subjects >90 y of age who were apparently well, mentally competent and recruited from all areas of Belfast.

Results: Mean weight was significantly heavier in male 63.9 (s.d. 9.1) kg compared to female subjects 54.4 (s.d. 11.9) kg (P<0.0001). Men were significantly taller than women with mean height of 162 (s.d. 5.9) cm compared to 150 (s.d. 6.7) cm in women (P<0.0001). Increasing age was associated with a fall in weight (P=0.06 female; P=0.09 male) and in height for women (P=0.04). Mean BMI was 24.3 (s.d. 3.0) kg/m² for men and 24.6 (s.d. 5.4) kg/m² for women with no sex or age differential. 10% of females had values for BMI <18.5 kg/m². 11% of female and 2% of male subjects had BMI values >30 kg/ m². TSF values were 11.7 (s.d. 4.1) mm in male and 12.3 (s.d. 4.5) mm in female subjects with no age or sex-related difference.

Conclusions: Local percentiles for anthropometric variables are presented for subjects >90 y. Both BMI and TSF show no sex or age-related difference. Ten percent of females have BMI values consistent with either under nutrition or over nutrition.

Sponsorship: Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland.