Weight gain among elderly women as risk factor for disability: Health, Well-being and Aging Study (SABE Study)

To examine the association between weight change and the incidence of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) among elderly women.

In 2006, 227 women aged ≥75 years and independent in ADL were selected from SABE Study (Health, Well-being, and Aging) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The dependent variable was the report of difficulty on ≥1 ADL in 2009. Differences in weight were calculated between baseline and second interview, and converted to percentage change in relation to initial weight. A change (gain or loss) ≥5% was considered significant. A logistic regression analysis was performed including sociodemographic and health-related variables.

After adjusting, weight gain remained associated to disability (OR = 2.42; p = .027), whereas weigh loss lost significance (OR = 1.66; p = .384).

Weight loss is generally considered more worrisome than weight gain in elderly. However, weight loss alone was not a risk factor for disability in our study.