NUTRITION AND FUNCTION - IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY-MASS INDEX AND THE FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY

Objective: To determine if there is a relationship between body mass i ndex and the ability to perform the usual activities of living in a sa mple of community-dwelling elderly. Design: Secondary data analysis of The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1982-1984). Follow-up home interview of a population- based sample originally interviewed between 1971 and 1975 in the Natio nal Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-I (NHANES-I). Participants : Survivors of the original NHANES-I cohort who were 65 years of age o r older and who were living at home at the time of the second intervie w (n = 3061). Excluded were those who could not be found, refused part icipation, or were institutionalized (n = 220), and those without comp lete height and weight data (n = 194). Main Outcome Measure: Functiona l status as measured by a 26-item battery. Results: Bivariate analysis revealed a greater risk for functional impairment for subjects with a low body mass index or a high body mass index. The greater the extrem e of body mass index (either higher or lower), the greater the risk fo r functional impairment. Logistic regression analysis indicated that b oth high and low body mass index continued to be significantly related to functional status when 22 other potential confounders were include d in the model, Conclusion: The body mass index is related to the func tional capabilities of community-dwelling elderly. The inclusion of th is simple measurement in the comprehensive assessment of community-dwe lling elderly is supported.