ABSTRACT
As part of the Cross-Cultural Research on Nutrition of Older Subjects (CRONOS) project, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to observe the nutritional status and body composition of free-living elderly and middle-aged people in a low-income area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Anthropometric data (weight; height; arm span; four skinfold thicknesses; left upper mid-arm, abdomen, hip and calf circumferences) were collected from 50 Vietnamese men and 50 Vietnamese women aged between 35 and 44 years and 50 men and 50 women aged between 60 and 74 years who lived in Village 2, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) in the elderly men (BMI = 19.9 ± 2.8 kg/m2) was higher (52 vs 34%) than that in the middle-aged men (BMI = 19.2 ± 3.4 kg/m2). Fat-free mass and calf circumference of the elderly were lower than those of the middle-aged (p<0.001). However, the Vietnamese elderly had higher body fat content, higher abdomen-to-hip ratios and lower fat-free mass than their younger counterparts (p<0.05). In particular, 36% of middle-aged women and 20% of elderly women were classified with 'relative abdominal overfatness'. Vietnamese middle-aged and older adults are shorter and thinner than their counterparts in American and European countries but overfatness increases with age, particularly in women. Urban elderly are vulnerable to both undernutrition and overnutrition, both of which merit consideration in the geriatric care system in Vietnam.
ABSTRACT
Body composition and physical activity of institutionalised elderly were studied. Forty elderly subjects were divided into two groups according to their body mass index (BMI). One group (n=20) had BMI < 17 kg/m2 (low BMI) and was defined as having chronic energy deficiency (CED), and the other group (n=20) had BMI values between 22.0 to 25.0 kg/m2 (BMIs generally regarded as healthy). Body composition was measured using skinfold thicknesses and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The Durnin and Womersley1 equation was used to estimate fat mass (FM) from the sum of four skinfold thicknesses, namely biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac. With BIA, two formulae were adopted to calculate fat free mass (FFM); they were the Lukaski2 and Deurenberg3 equations. These three formulae were compared. The physical activity level (PAL) was estimated on the basis of recorded daily physical activity patterns, and calculation of energy expenditure was based on a report by FAO/WHO/UNU4. Skinfold assessment provided the highest value for FM estimation, and BIA using Deurenberg's3 equation (BIA-H) gave the lowest value. The average of FM obtained by the three methods in elderly with low and normal BMI were 4.9 ± 2.5 kg and 16.7 ± 3.2 kg, respectively. The discrepancy between Lukaski2 and Deurenberg3 equations was less as FM increased. The elderly with low BMIs had very low fat mass. Nevertheless, thin elderly had the same level of physical activity (1.3 x BMR) as those with apparently healthy BMIs. The BMI cut off point to define CED was not sensitive enough to detect any physical consequences of low BMI in Indonesian elderly as this may reflect PALs which are overall very low. Comparable investigation of non-institutionalised elderly is needed. This study is the first to assess the functional significance of BMI in Southeast Asian elderly.
ABSTRACT
A cross sectional study of cardiovascular disease risk profile, with emphasis on coronary heart disease, was carried out in North Jakarta, Indonesia. One hundred and six ethnic Chinese (47 men and 59 women) aged 25 years and over were recruited. There were high prevalences of overweight /obesity and hypertension, especially in men (32.6% and 48.8%, respectively). Current smokers were 12.2% of men and 3.9% of women. Hyperlipidaemia prevalence was 14.6% of men and 9.6% of women. Mean values of body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and blood pressure were significantly higher in men than in women. Body fatness and blood pressure in women significantly increased with age. In women, plasma total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were associated with BMI, while triglyceride was associated with WHR. The study showed a high prevalence of CVD risk particularly in men, consistent with an unhealthy lifestyle. In this report, men were more likely to smoke and had poorer attitudes to health than did women.