Obesity and Disability: Relation Among Older Adults Living in Latin America and the Caribbean

摘要

The prevalence and incidence of both obesity and disability are projected to increase in the coming decades. Thenauthors examined the relation between obesity and disability in older adults from 6 Latin American cities partici-npating in the Health, Well-Being and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (SABE) Study (1999–2000). Thensample included 6,166 participants aged 65 years or more. Data on sociodemographic factors, smoking status,nmedical conditions, body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)n2n), and self-reported activities of daily living (ADL)nwere obtained. The prevalence of obesity (BMI u0001 30) ranged from 13.3% in Havana, Cuba, to 37.6% in Monte-nvideo, Uruguay. Using a BMI of 18.5–<25 as the reference category and controlling for all covariates, the lowestnodds ratio for ADL limitation was for a BMI of 25–<30 (odds ratio ¼ 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 0.93, 1.30), andnthe highest odds ratio for ADL limitation was for a BMI of 35 or higher (odds ratio ¼ 1.63, 95% confidence interval:n1.26, 2.11). The results indicated that obesity is an independent factor contributing to ADL disability in thesenpopulations and should be included in future planning to reduce the impact of disability on global health.