Obese very old women have low relative hangrip strength, poor physical function, and difficulties in daily living

To investigate whether anthropometric and body composition variables and handgrip strength (HS) were associated with physical function and independent daily living in 88-year-old Swedish women.

A cross-sectional analysis of 83 community-dwelling women aged 88 years who were of normal weight (n=30), overweight (n=29), and obese (n=24) was performed.

Body weight (Wt), height, waist circumference (WC), and arm circumference were assessed using an electronic scale and a measuring tape. Tricep skinfold thickness was measured using a skinfold calliper. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, and HS was recorded with an electronic grip force instrument. Linear regression was used to determine the contributions of parameters as a single predictor or as a ratio of HS to physical function (Short Form-36, SF-36PF) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).

Obese women had greater absolute FM and FFM and lower HS corrected for FFM and HS-based ratios (i.e., HS/Wt, HS/body mass index [BMI]) than their normal weight and overweight counterparts. After adjusting for physical activity levels and the number of chronic diseases, HS-based ratios explained more variance in SF-36PF scoring (R2, 0.52-0.54) than single anthropometric and body composition variables (R2, 0.45-0.51). WC, HS, and HS-based ratios (HS/Wt and HS/FFM) were also associated with independence in IADL.

Obese very old women have a high WC but their HS is relatively low in relation to their Wt and FFM. These parameters are better than BMI for predicting physical function and independent daily living.