Anthropometry of elderly residents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

The article presents gender and age-specific selected anthropometric data for a representative sample of elderly Brazilians in the city of São Paulo. This was a cross-sectional, population-based household survey. A total of 1,894 older adults (men and women, > 60 years) were examined from January to March 2001. Data were presented as means and percentiles for body mass (BM); height or stature (ST); body mass index (BMI); waist (WC), hip (HC), arm (AC), and calf (CC) circumferences; triceps skinfold thickness (TST); and arm muscle circumference (AMC), and differences were described according to age (all variables) and gender (BMI). Except for HC (men), all anthropometric variables were lower in the oldest than in the youngest individuals (p < 0.01) in both genders. BMI was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in women than men (all age groups). The observations suggest that there is loss of muscle mass and redistribution and reduction of fat mass with age (both genders). The data can be used in clinical practice and epidemiological studies based on interpretation of anthropometric measurements in the elderly in São Paulo.

Functional limitations of Brazilian elderly by age and gender differences: data from SABE Survey.

This study provides the prevalence, by gender and age-groups, of observed physical performance test (PPT) assessing functional limitation for representative samples of elderly Brazilian subjects living in São Paulo city. This cross-sectional epidemiological study, both population- and household-based, is part of a multicenter survey (SABE) undertaken in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries and coordinated by the Pan-American Health Organization. From January 2000 to March 2001, 2,143 elderly individuals (>or= 60 years) of both sexes were examined. Of this total, 1,894 participated in the study. PPT included handgrip strength, standing balance, timed repeated "chair stand", and "pick up a pen". Results have shown (based on chi-square) that the prevalence relating to the performance differed according to sex, age group, and from one test to another. With increasing age, there was a reduction (p = 0.000) in both males and females in the proportion of individuals that had better results on the tests. The male group, on every test, when compared to women from the same age group, had a more individuals with better scores. Data suggest that older individuals and women have more functional limitations.

Association between waist circumference (WC) values and hypertension, heart disease (HD) and diabetes, reported by the elderly--SABE Survey: Health, Wellness and Aging, 2000 and 2006.

The positive association between WC and systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), diabetes mellitus (DM) and HD calls for investigation in the elderly. The objective of the present study was to identify WC values, so as better to determine the risk of these diseases. This was a longitudinal study using the data of 405 elderly participants of the SABE Survey: Health, Well-being and Aging, undertaken in São Paulo, in 2000 and 2006. The study variables were WC, sex, age group, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) (2000) and SAH, DM and HD (2006). The area under the Receiver Operating Caracteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) and confidence intervals of 95% was used to estimate the performance of WC values in correctly discriminating among the elderly, according to the reference or not to diseases associated with WC. WC critical values were identified by the highest positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) equal to zero. The AUC showed the satisfactory performance of WC critical values in discriminating between reports of DM in individuals of 60-74 years of age. The WC critical values identified were ≥87 cm for women and ≥99 cm for men, which presented a better performance in relation to the AUC value than to the WC values commonly used. The WC critical values identified in this study showed better discriminatory power of foretelling reference to DM than did the WC values commonly used.

Relação entre estado nutricional e força de preensão manual em idosos do município de São Paulo, Braisil: Dados da Pesquisa SABE / The relationship between nutrirional status and handgrip strenght of elderly of the city of São Paulo. Brasil: Data from Sabe survey

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a relação do estado nutricional (EN) com a força de preensão manual (FPM)em idosos, do município de São Paulo, Brasil. Estudo epidemiológico transversal, de base populacional e domiciliar, parte de estudo multicêntrico (Pesquisa SABE), coordenado pela Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde. A Pesquisa SABE abrangeu 2143 idosos (> 60 anos), de ambos os sexos, no período de janeiro/2000 a março/2001, selecionados por amostragem probabilística; sendo que 1894 (88,4%), participaram deste estudo. O EN foi verificado pelo Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) e Área Muscular do Braço (AMB), variáveis independentes. A FPM (variável dependente) foi verificada por meio de dinamômetro. Foram feitas análises de regressão linear (simples) para homens e mulheres, segundo grupo etário (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 e ³ 80 anos). As mulheres apresentaram valores médios de IMC (kg/m2) superiores e AMB (cm2) e FPM (kg) inferiores aos dos homens. Ambos os sexosmostraram redução significativa do IMC, AMB e FPM com a idade. A FPM foi positivamente correlacionada como IMC (r = 0,135, em mulheres e r = 0,287, em homens) e AMB (r = 0,149, em mulheres e r = 0,421 , emhomens). Nas análises por grupo etário observou-se correlação entre FPM e : IMC para homens ( eõ 70 anos);AMB para homens (todos os grupos etários) e mulheres (eõ 80 anos). Os resultados permitem concluir queexiste uma relação linear entre estado nutricional e força de preensão manual é específica ao sexo, grupo etárioe indicador nutricional...

The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status (NS) and handgrip strength (HS) ofelderly of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. This cross-sectional epidemiological study, population- and householdbased,is part of a multi-center study (SABE Survey), which was coordinated by the Pan-American Health Organization. The SABE survey reached 2143 elderly (³ 60 yrs old), from both sexes, from january/2000 to march/ 2001, and for the present analysis a group of 1894 (88.4%) was selected by probabilistic sampling. NS was determined by Body Mass Index (BMI) and arm muscle area (AMA) as independent variables. HS (dependent variable) was measured by dynamometer. Linear regression analyses were used to correlate the NS and HS, for both men and women, according to the age group (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and ³ 80 years). The mean BMI (kg/m2) was higher while AMA (cm2) and HS (kg) were smaller for women than for men. There was a significant decline in BMI, AMA and HS with age in both sexes. HS was positively correlated to the BMI (r = 0.135 for females and r = 0.287 for males) and to AMA (r = 0.149 for females and r = 0. 421 for males). The analyses by age group showed correlation between HS and BMI for men (eõ 70 years) and with AMA for men (all age groups) and women ( eõ 80 years). These results allowed to the conclusion that the relationship between NS and HS is specific to the sex, age group and nutritional indicator...

Anthropometry of elderly residents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

The article presents gender and age-specific selected anthropometric data for a representative sample of elderly Brazilians in the city of São Paulo. This was a cross-sectional, population-based household survey. A total of 1,894 older adults (men and women, > 60 years) were examined from January to March 2001. Data were presented as means and percentiles for body mass (BM); height or stature (ST); body mass index (BMI); waist (WC), hip (HC), arm (AC), and calf (CC) circumferences; triceps skinfold thickness (TST); and arm muscle circumference (AMC), and differences were described according to age (all variables) and gender (BMI). Except for HC (men), all anthropometric variables were lower in the oldest than in the youngest individuals (p < 0.01) in both genders. BMI was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in women than men (all age groups). The observations suggest that there is loss of muscle mass and redistribution and reduction of fat mass with age (both genders). The data can be used in clinical practice and epidemiological studies based on interpretation of anthropometric measurements in the elderly in São Paulo.

Functional limitations of Brazilian elderly by age and gender differences: data from SABE Survey

Em amostra representativa de idosos residentes no Município de São Paulo, Brasil, foram utilizados testes de desempenho motor (TDM) com objetivo de verificar a proporção de indivíduos, de acordo com sexo e grupo etário, quanto à limitação funcional. Trata-se de estudo epidemiológico transversal, de base populacional e domiciliar, parte de pesquisa multicêntrica (SABE), coordenada pela Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde. A SABE abrangeu 2.143 idosos (> 60 anos), de ambos os sexos, no período de janeiro/2000 a março/ 2001; sendo que 1.894 (88,4 por cento) participaram deste estudo. Os seguintes TDM foram utilizados: força de preensão manual; "sentar e levantar" e "agachar e pegar uma caneta" (avaliados por tempo) e; teste de equilíbrio estático. A prevalência quanto ao desempenho (qui-quadrado) foi específica para sexo, grupo etário e teste utilizado. O percentual de homens e mulheres com melhor escore foi menor (p = 0,000) nos grupos etários mais avançados. Quando comparados às mulheres, os homens, em todos os grupos etários, apresentaram melhores resultados nos testes. O presente estudo fornece evidências de que a limitação funcional é mais freqüente no sexo feminino e nos indivíduos mais idosos.