Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index of Elderly Persons in Taiwan
Resource
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES v.55 n.11 pp.M684-M690
Journal
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
Journal Volume
v.55
Journal Issue
n.11
Pages
M684-M690
Date Issued
2000
Date
2000
Author(s)
CHIU, HERNG-CHIA
CHANG, HSING-YI
MAU, LIH-WEN
LEE, TI-KAI
LIU, HONG-WEN
Abstract
Background In Taiwan, distributions of body composition are usually generated for children, adolescent, and middle-aged groups. This study describes three anthropometric measures ( i.e., height, weight, and body mass index [BMI]) of elderly persons in Taiwan. Methods, The data was derived from a prospective cross-sectional, population-based geriatric survey funded by the National Department of Health in Taiwan in 1991. A total of 2,600 subjects were successfully evaluated. A descriptive analysis was performed to generate distributions of height, weight, and BMI of elderly persons. Based on these descriptive data, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated, and a cross-national comparison on the prevalence of obesity was made. Results. Age-group-specific means and standard deviations for height, weight, and BMI of Taiwanese elderly persons were presented . By gender, the elderly men were taller and heavier than the elderly women; however, the women had a higher mean value of BMI (kg/m(2)). The prevalence of overweight was 27. 3% in men and 31.9 % in women; the prevalence of obesity was 3.2% in men and 6.4% in women. The prevalence of obesity for the elderly men and women in Taiwan was lower than in Kuwait, Sweden, the United States, and the Native Americans, bur higher than in Japan. Conclusions. The comparison indicates cross- cultural differences existing in the prevalence of obesity, which may be due to aging, nutritional status, or environmental factors. For future research, the relationship of anthropometric data to socioeconomic status and behavioral factors will be examined .
Subjects
OBESITY
PREVALENCE
TRENDS
INDIANS
DISEASE
ADULTS
SDGs
Type
journal article