BODY-MASS INDEXES AND SKELETAL SIZE IN 394 CANADIANS AGED 55-86 YEARS

Demispan (finger web to midline) is the preferred index of stature in the study of the elderly where height is unreliable because of age-rel ated lass or distortion. As a consequence, two alternative mass indice s, Demiquet (male mass.demispan(-2)) and Minder (female mass.demispan( -1)), have been proposed for use in the elderly, in place of body mass index calculated from height, which might be suspect. These gender-sp ecific indices reflect the squared and linear relationship of height t o mass in men and women respectively. To assess the independence of De miquet and Minder from stature and the reliability of demispan, height , demispan (second fingerweb to midline), and mass were recorded in a random sample of independent Canadian men (182) and women (212) aged 5 5-86 years. Both Demiquet and Minder were highly correlated with mass, r = 0.81 (p = 0.001) and r = 0.96 (p = 0.001), respectively. In both gender groups these mass indices were independent of height and demisp an. The demispan within- and between-observer errors were small -0.04( -0.16 to 0.08) cm and - 0.09(-0.22 to 0.03)cm and the between-observer intraclass correlation estimate of reliability was 0.96 (lower-bound one-sided 95% CI 0.90). Demispan is a reliable and reproducible measur e of stature in the elderly. Demiquet and Minder are useful mass indic es, independent of stature and suitable for use in the study of the el derly where the use of mass indices based on height may be questionabl e.