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Association of grip strength, upper arm circumference, and waist circumference with dementia in older adults of the wise study: A cross-sectional analysis

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

We examined the associations of handgrip strength, upper arm circumference, and waist circumference with dementia among Singapore older adults.

Design

Cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Setting

Residential homes, day care centres, nursing homes and institutions.

Participants

2,565 men and women aged 60 years and above who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study in 2013.

Measurements

Socio-demographic correlates, dietary habits, health behaviours, grip strength, upper arm circumference, and waist circumference were collected. Grip strength was measured using a hand dynamometer with the dominant hand. Upper arm circumference was measured using a measuring tape around the thickest part of the upper arm while waist circumference measured in centimetres was measured at the narrowest part of the body between the chest and hips for women, and measured at the level of the umbilicus for men. Dementia was diagnosed using the 10/66 dementia diagnostic criteria.

Results

Mean grip strength was 13.07 kg (SE=0.60) for people with dementia and 21.98 kg (SE=0.26) for people without dementia. After adjusting for all factors, grip strength remained significantly associated with dementia (p <0.0001). Upper arm circumference was associated with dementia (p <0.0001) but this association was only significant in the univariate analysis. Waist circumference was not significantly associated with dementia.

Conclusions

Lower grip strength was independently associated with dementia in the older adult population in Singapore. Further research needs to be done to ascertain whether this association exists for specific types of dementia and look into the relationship of other anthropometric measurements with dementia in Singapore.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore

    Hui Lin Ong, S. H. S. Chang, E. Abdin, J. A. Vaingankar, A. Jeyagurunathan, S. Shafie, S. A. Chong & M. Subramaniam

  2. Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore

    H. Magadi

  3. Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Buangkok Green Medical Park, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, 539747, Singapore

    Hui Lin Ong

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  1. Hui Lin Ong
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Ong, H.L., Chang, S.H.S., Abdin, E. et al. Association of grip strength, upper arm circumference, and waist circumference with dementia in older adults of the wise study: A cross-sectional analysis. J Nutr Health Aging 20, 996–1001 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0643-4

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