Is Fat Mass Distribution Related to Impaired Mobility in Older Men and Women? Nutrition as a Determinant of Successful Aging: The Quebec Longitudinal Study

Abstract

It is established that a high level of fat mass (FM) is related to mobility impairment in older adults. However, FM distribution has received very little attention. In this study, 904 well-functioning older adults aged between 68 and 82 years old were recruited to examine the association between waist circumference, trunk FM, leg FM, and mobility. The results show that waist circumference was the only measure of body fat distribution independently associated with mobility (p ≤ .001). Therefore, the use of objective measures of FM distribution may not be necessary to examine the impact of FM distribution on mobility.

Acknowledgments

This research and scholarships of D. R. Bouchard, S. Choquette, and I. J. Dionne were supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; reference funding CIHR: 62842). The authors would like to thank Gina Bravo for statistical assistance and Ashlee McGuire for editing.

Notes

Note. Data are unadjusted mean ± SD.

FM = fat mass.

t tests were used to compare men and women.

Note. Data are unadjusted mean ± SD.

t tests were used to compare men and women.

Note. GMS = Global Mobility Score.

**p ≤ .01; *p ≤ .05.

Note. Analyses adjusted for leg muscle strength, physical activity level, and the sum of chronic conditions.