Comparison of measured and estimated height in the elderly with different functional classifications
DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.202044445453
Keywords:
Height; Elderly; Fragility; Healthy aging.Abstract
One of the effects of aging on the body is the reduction of height, which may overestimate the body mass index (BMI). It is
hypothesized that frail elderly people are more affected by this decline in height, however this is not clear in the literature.
The aim of this study was to compare the measured and estimated height and the BMI derived from measured and
estimated measurements, in the elderly according to the functional classification. A cross-sectional study with secondary
data was carried out with elderly people in outpatient care, classified as robust, at risk of fragility, and fragile. Estimated
height was calculated from knee height and estimated BMI with the estimated height. In the statistical analysis, ANOVA
test and the Hochberg's GT2 test were applied, when comparing the 3 categories of functionality. The sample consisted of
116 elderly people with a mean age of 83.6 (8.5), mostly women 73.0 (62.9%), and classified as robust 54.0 (46.6%). The
difference found for height was 4.2 (5.2), 4.6 (4.9), 7.1 (5.3) cm respectively for the robust, at risk of fragility, and fragile.
The difference between the robust and the fragile was significant (p=0.033). A similar result was obtained by assessing
the difference between BMIs (p=0.019). The study showed that frail elderly people have greater differences between
measured and estimated height, in comparison with robust people, suggesting that frail elderly people have more height
impairment, which can directly impact nutritional diagnosis. Caution is suggested in the use of measured height in the
elderly, particularly in the frail.
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para o diagnóstico do estado nutricional de idosos residentes no sul do Brasil. Bras Med Esport. 2008; 14:127-131.
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height and weight in an adult Scottish population. J Epidemiol Community Health 2000; 54:143-8.
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30. Lorenzo-López L, Maseda A, de Labra C, Regueiro-Folgueira L, Rodríguez-Villamil JL, Millán-Calenti JC. Nutritional determinants of
frailty in older adults: A systematic review. BMC Geriatr 2017; 17:108-121.
31. Fernihough A, McGovern ME. Physical stature decline and the health status of the elderly population in England. Econ Hum Biol.
2015; 16:30-44.
32. Cauley JA. Estrogen and bone health in men and women. Steroids. 2015; 99:11-15
33. Naruishi K, Yumoto H, Kido JI. Clinical effects of low body mass index on geriatric status in elderly patients. Exp Gerontol. 2018;
110:86-91.
34. Beaudart C, McCloskey E, Bruyère O, Cesari M, Rolland Y, Rizzoli R, et al. Sarcopenia in daily practice: assessment and management.
BMC Geriatr. 2016; 16:170-180.
35. Ix JH, Wassel CL, Stevens LA, Beck GJ, Froissart M, Navis G, et al. Equations to Estimate Creatinine Excretion Rate: The CKD
Epidemiology Collaboration. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011; 6:184–191.
321.
2. Serván PR, Poyatos RS, Rodríguez JS, Gómez-Candela C, Luna PPG, Serra-Majem L. Special considerations for nutritional studies in
elderly. Nutr Hosp. 2015; 31:84-90.
3. Fantin F, Di Francesco V, Fontana G, Zivelonghi A, Bissoli L, Zoico E, et al. Longitudinal body composition changes in old men and
women: interrelationships with worsening disability. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2007; 62:1375-1381.
4. Reinders I, Murphy RA, Koster A, Brouwer IA, Visser M, Garcia ME, et al. Muscle quality and muscle fat infiltration in relation to
incident mobility disability and gait speed decline: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med
Sci 2015; 70:1030–1036.
5. Almeida MF, Marucci MFN, Gobbo LA, Ferreira LS, Dourado DAQS, Duarte YAO, et al. Anthropometric Changes in the Brazilian
Cohort of Older Adults: SABE Survey (Health, Well-Being, and Aging). J Obes 2013; 2013:695496.
6. Hughes VA, Roubenoff R, Wood M, Frontera WR, Evans WJ, Singh MAF. Anthropometric assessment of 10-y changes in body
composition in the elderly. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 80:475–82.
7. Jensen GL, Cederholm T, Correia MITD, Gonzalez MC, Fukushima R, Higashiguchi T, et. Al. GLIM Criteria for the Diagnosis of
Malnutrition: A Consensus Report From the Global Clinical Nutrition Community. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2018; 38:1-9.
8. García-Peña C, Pérez-Zepeda MU. Validity of Knee-Estimated Height to Assess Standing Height in Older Adults: A Secondary
Longitudinal Analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. J Nutr Health Aging, 2017; 21:262–265.
9. Butler R, McClinchy J, Morreale-Parker C, Marsh W, Rennie KL. BMI calculation in older people: The effect of using direct and
surrogate measures of height in a community-based setting. Clin Nutr ESPEN 2017; 22:112–115.
10. Sorkin JD, Muller DC, Andres R. Longitudinal change in height of men and women: Implications for interpretation of body mass
index. Am J Epidemiol. 1999; 150:969-977.
11. Baumgartner RN, Stauber PM, McHugh D, Koehler KM, Garry PJ. Cross-sectional Age Differences in Body Composition in Persons
60 + Years of Age. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 1995; 50:M307-M316.
12. Frid H, Adolfsson ET, Rosenblad A, Nydahl M. Agreement between different methods of measuring height in elderly patients. J Hum
Nutr Diet. 2013; 26:504-11.
13. Closs VE, Feoli AM, Shwanke CH. Altura do joelho como medida alternativa confiável na avaliação nutricional de idosos. Rev Nutr.
2015; 28:475-484.
14. Fogal AS, Franceschini S do C, Priore SE, Cotta RM, Ribeiro AQ. Stature estimation using the knee height measurement amongst
Brazilian elderly. Nutr Hosp. 2015; 31:829-834.
15. Gavriilidou NN, Pihlsgård M, ElmståhS l. High degree of BMI misclassification of malnutrition among Swedish elderly population:
Age-adjusted height estimation using knee height and demispan. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015; 69:565-571.
16. Carvalho EMS, Mota SPF, Silva GPF, Filho JMC. A postura do idoso e suas implicações clínicas. Geriatr Gerontol. 2011; 5:170-174.
17. Karadag B, Ozturk AO, Sener N, Altuntas Y. Use of knee height for the estimation of stature in elderly Turkish people and their
relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2012; 54:82-89.
18. Souza R, Fraga JS, Gottschall CBA, Busnello FM, Rabito EI. Avaliação antropométrica em idosos: estimativas de peso e altura e
concordância entre classificações de IMC. Rev Bras Geriatr Gerontol 2013; 16:81-90.
19. Moraes EN, Moraes FM, Santos RR, Bicalho MAC, Machado CJ, Romero DE. A new proposal for the clinical-functional categorization
of the elderly: visual scale of frailty (Vs- Frailty). J Aging Res Clin Practice 2016; 5:24-30.
20. Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, Newman AB, Hirsch C, Gottdiener J et al. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J
Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001; 56:146-156.
21. Acuña K, Cruz T. Nutritional assessment of adults and elderly and the nutritional status of the Brazilian population. Arq Bras
Endocrinol Metabol. 2004; 48:345-61.
22. Chumlea WC, Roche AF, Steinbaugh ML. Estimating stature from knee height for persons 60 to 90 years of age. J Am Geriatr. Soc.
1985; 33:116-120.
23. Varela FR, Ciconelli RM, Campolina AG, Soarez PC. Quality of life evaluation of frail elderly in Campinas, São Paulo. Rev Assoc
Med Bras. 2015; 61:423-30.
24. Melo APF, Salles RK, Vieira FGK, Ferreira MG Métodos de estimativa de peso corporal e altura em adultos hospitalizados: uma
análise comparativa. Rev Bras Cineantropom Desemp Hum. 2014; 16:475-484.
25. Sant’Anna BC, Lage GM, Dores SMC, Velarde LGC, Barroso SG, Rocha GS. Análise de concordância entre métodos para estimativa
da estatura de idosos atendidos em ambulatório de nutrição. Rev. Bras. Geriatr. Gerontol. 2018; 21:743-748.
26. Rech CR, Petroski EL, Böing O, Júnior RJB, Soares MR. Concordância entre as medidas de peso e estatura mensuradas e autoreferidas
para o diagnóstico do estado nutricional de idosos residentes no sul do Brasil. Bras Med Esport. 2008; 14:127-131.
27. Bolton-Smith C, Woodward M, Tunstall-Pedoe H, Morrison C. Accuracy of the estimated prevalence of obesity from self reported
height and weight in an adult Scottish population. J Epidemiol Community Health 2000; 54:143-8.
28. World Health Organization. Physical status: the use and interpretation of anthropometry. Genebra, 1995.452p.
29. Lipschitz DA. Screening for nutritional status in the elderly. Primary Care. 1994; 21:55-67.
30. Lorenzo-López L, Maseda A, de Labra C, Regueiro-Folgueira L, Rodríguez-Villamil JL, Millán-Calenti JC. Nutritional determinants of
frailty in older adults: A systematic review. BMC Geriatr 2017; 17:108-121.
31. Fernihough A, McGovern ME. Physical stature decline and the health status of the elderly population in England. Econ Hum Biol.
2015; 16:30-44.
32. Cauley JA. Estrogen and bone health in men and women. Steroids. 2015; 99:11-15
33. Naruishi K, Yumoto H, Kido JI. Clinical effects of low body mass index on geriatric status in elderly patients. Exp Gerontol. 2018;
110:86-91.
34. Beaudart C, McCloskey E, Bruyère O, Cesari M, Rolland Y, Rizzoli R, et al. Sarcopenia in daily practice: assessment and management.
BMC Geriatr. 2016; 16:170-180.
35. Ix JH, Wassel CL, Stevens LA, Beck GJ, Froissart M, Navis G, et al. Equations to Estimate Creatinine Excretion Rate: The CKD
Epidemiology Collaboration. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011; 6:184–191.
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Published
2020-07-01
How to Cite
Kristine Jansen, A. ., Denise Angela Gonçalves dos Santos, de Oliveira Ramiro, D. ., & Ribeiro dos Santos, R. . (2020). Comparison of measured and estimated height in the elderly with different functional classifications: DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.202044445453. O Mundo Da Saúde, 44, 445–453. Retrieved from https://revistamundodasaude.emnuvens.com.br/mundodasaude/article/view/971
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