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Overweight and obesity as markers for the evaluation of disease risk in older adults

  • Overweight and Obesity as Markers for the Evaluation of Disease Risk in Older Adults
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

To explore disease risk through the measurement of BMI scores and waist circumferences in older Mexican adults with favorable health statuses and to determine how this risk is associated with sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2006, we created a cross-sectional design and selected 878 participants (60 years or older) who had favorable health statuses. The demographic data, health status, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and an estimation of disease risk (arterial hypertension, diabetes type 2, and metabolic syndrome) were obtained through the survey.

Results

The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity were 42.1%, 29.7%, and 80.9%, respectively. Disease risks, which were classified as least, increased, high, or very high, were 14.7%, 17.5%, 38.7%, and 29.1%, respectively. We observed that younger age has a higher risk for disease and that this decreases as age increases until it becomes minimal. After controlling for some risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and physical activity, we observed that being female, younger, and married are all factors significantly associated with a high and very high risk for disease. On the other hand, being indigenous, having a low education level, living in a rural setting are all protective factors with a minimum disease risk.

Conclusions

The prevalence rates of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity are high among older Mexican adults. We observed that as age increases, disease risk decreases, which also occurs with some lifestyle factors such as living in a rural setting, being indigenous, having a low education level, and being married.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Geriatría. Institutos Nacionales de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico

    O. Rosas-Carrasco

  2. Epidemiologic and Health Service Research Unit, Aging Area, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico City, Mexico

    T. Juarez-Cedillo & Sergio Sanchez-Garcia

  3. National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition “Salvador Zubirán”, National Institutes of Health, Mexico City, Mexico

    L. Ruiz-Arregui

  4. Department of Molecular Biology and Cardiovascular Disease’s Genomic and Proteomic Study Group, National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez. National Institutes of Health, Mexico City, Mexico

    G. Vargas-Alarcon

  5. Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Área Envejecimiento, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Edificio CORCE, tercer piso. Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Avenida Cuauhtémoc No. 330, Col. Doctores. Delegación Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., Código Postal 06725, México

    Sergio Sanchez-Garcia

Authors
  1. O. Rosas-Carrasco
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  2. T. Juarez-Cedillo
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  3. L. Ruiz-Arregui
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  4. C. Garcia Pena
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  5. G. Vargas-Alarcon
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  6. Sergio Sanchez-Garcia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergio Sanchez-Garcia.

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Rosas-Carrasco, O., Juarez-Cedillo, T., Ruiz-Arregui, L. et al. Overweight and obesity as markers for the evaluation of disease risk in older adults. J Nutr Health Aging 16, 14–20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0001-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0001-8

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