Measuring body mass index (BMI) in nursing home residents: The usefulness of measurement of arm span

Figures & data

Table I.  Clinical and anthropometric characteristics for 35 nursing home patients, median (range).

	All n = 35	Women n = 26	Men n = 9	p^1
Age	85 (54–96)	85 (65–96)	84 (54–96)	0.75
Weight (kg)	30.0 (56–107)	51 (30–78)	63 (54.3–107)	0.008
Height	1.57 (1.42–1.76)	1.54 (1.42–1.73)	1.65 (1.57–1.76)	<0.001
Arm span (m)	1.59 (1.38–1.78)	1.55 (1.38–1.78)	1.68 (1.65–1.74)	<0.001
Ratio arm span/height	1.01 (0.91–1.18)	1.005 (0.91–1.18)	1.02 (0.94–1.11)	0.67
BMI (height)	22.37 (12.98–40.27)	21.00 (12.98–33.76)	22.77 (17.53–40.27)	0.38
BMI (arm span)	20.69 (15.62–37.91)	19.90 (15.62–36.10)	22.32 (18.50–37.91)	0.38
Ratio BMIs based on height and arm span	0.98 (0.72–1.21)	0.99 (0.72–1.21)	0.96 (0.81–1.12)	0.67

¹Mann–Whitney test.