Anthropometric assessment in retired geriatric population

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Bangladesh has a rapidly growing elderly population, presenting new challenges for social and health policy.
• Increased life expectancy in the geriatric population is associated with health issues like malnutrition and obesity.
• Evaluating anthropometric measurements is crucial for understanding the health status of retired individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the anthropometric measurements of the retired geriatric population in Bangladesh.
• To compare the anthropometric measurements of retired elderly individuals with a younger adult control group.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 70 retired subjects (57-90 years) and 70 control subjects (18-55 years).
• Exclusion of participants with known hypertension, diabetes, or renal diseases.
• Measurement of height and weight to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), with statistical analysis using SPSS.

Main Results:

• The mean BMI of the retired geriatric group (24.49+/-1.11) was statistically significantly higher than the control group (23.43+/-1.46).
• Despite being higher, all BMI values for the geriatric group fell within physiological limits.
• The study indicates normal anthropometric measurements for the retired geriatric population in the studied setting.

Conclusions:

• The retired geriatric population in Bangladesh exhibits normal anthropometric measurements.
• Findings support the need for continued monitoring of geriatric health indicators in the region.
• Anthropometric data is essential for developing targeted health and social policies for the aging population.