Weight, skinfolds and circumference characteristics of poor elderly people in Mumbai, India

This paper describes the anthropometric characteristics of 1,335 (males 545, females 790) people of low socio-economic classes aged 50-97 years (mean age 60 years) living in slums and tenement blocks around a major teaching hospital in central Mumbai (Bombay). Descriptive statistics for weight, mid-upper arm and calf circumferences, and biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds are presented. Subjects were much lighter, thinner and had smaller circumferences than their age- and sex- matched American counterparts but were similar to nationally representative Indian slum groups, as well as other Asian groups. Men were significantly heavier than women and had larger circumferences whereas women had significantly fatter skinfoldss. Age was significantly but non-linearly related to all variables in women but only to mid-upper arm and calf circumferences in men : there was a marked step effect with the age cut-off 70 years. Reliability for all measurements was high (R > 0.95), with technical errors of measurement highest for skinfolds, especially the suprailiac. The overall prevalence of oedema was 2.8%. In the whole sample, men were significantly older than women, probably because men are more likely to be out working than women, especially below 65 years old. A good participation rate was achieved (78%), with women more likely to participate than men. Almost half of the non-participancy can be attributed to work-related activity, particularly in men. Discussion focuses on practical issues of taking anthropometric measurements in elderly people living in the community, reliability, and non-participant bias.