The correlation between selected anthropometric indices and BIA-based body fat measures in nursing home women aged 80+ years

The aims of the study were to assess whether commonly used anthropometric indices are associated with body fat measures obtained by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) method, and to determine the best anthropometric predictor of BIA-based body fat percentage (%Fat) and visceral fat rating (VFR) in elderly women. The sample consisted of 24 women aged 80 years and older, the residents of long-term care facilities in Upper Silesia (Poland). All women were subjected to standard anthropometric measurements including the following variables: body weight, body height, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference. On the basis of these measures Body Mass Index (BMI) as well as waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. The subjects’ %Fat and VFR were determined by body composition analyzer TANITA BC 420MA (Japan). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to quantify the relationships between variables. Stepwise multiple regression analysis with backward elimination was performed to identify possible predictors. The basic characteristics of the investigated subjects were as follows (mean±SD): age -85.5±3.7 years;body weight -60.4±11.6 kg;body height -150.6±7.6cm; BMI -26.6±4.6 kg/m2; %Fat -31.3±9.6%; VFR -10.7±2.5. Both of BIA-based measures significantly, positively correlated with body weight, BMI and circumferences of waist, hip and neck (r values from 0.477 to 0.835). The multiple regression analysis for %Fat revealed that the body weight was the only variable statistically significant (r2=0.414; p