Demographic determinants of body mass index in healthy elderly men and women (1026.2)

Background: Aging and obesity impose a high burden on health care system. An understanding of the  determinants  of  body   mass   index  (BMI) can be helpful in targeted intervention and education in this population. Objective: We assessed the  demographic   determinants  of BMI in  healthy   elderly   men  and  women , using cross-sectional data. Methods: A total of 240  healthy  participants (63-79 years) recruited for a clinical trial on cognition was selected for this study. We used the data collected at baseline from these subjects including  body  weight, height, BMI, age, gender, ethnicity, physical activity level (assessed by a physical activity questionnaire) and years of education. We used a multiple linear regression model to analyze the predictors of BMI. Results: There were 74 males and 166 females in our study of which 77.1% were Caucasians, 6.7% Asians, 5.4% Blacks and 4.6% Hispanics. 32.5% of participants were normal weight, 37.5% and 24.2% were overweight and obese (BMI >30 kg/m2), respectively. Preliminary analyses showed that those engaged in moderate physical activity had lower BMI than those that participated only in mild physical activity (β=-2.97, P=0.002). Other  demographic  variables considered in the study were not associated with BMI. Conclusion: Our preliminary findings suggest that physical activity is an important predictor of BMI in this  elderly  population.