BMI calculation in older people: The effect of using direct and surrogate measures of height in a community-based setting

Summary Background & aims There is currently no consensus on which measure of height should be used in older people's body mass index (BMI) calculation. Most estimates of nutritional status include a measurement of body weight and height which should be reliable and accurate, however at pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical nutrition ESPEN 2017-12, Vol.22, p.112-115
Main Authors: Butler, Rose, McClinchy, Jane, Morreale-Parker, Claudia, Marsh, Wendy, Rennie, Kirsten L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BMI
Body mass index
Elderly
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Height
Older people
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Summary:Summary Background & aims There is currently no consensus on which measure of height should be used in older people's body mass index (BMI) calculation. Most estimates of nutritional status include a measurement of body weight and height which should be reliable and accurate, however at present several different methods are used interchangeably. BMI, a key marker in malnutrition assessment, does not reflect age-related changes in height or changes in body composition such as loss of muscle mass or presence of oedema. The aim of this pilot study was to assess how the use of direct and surrogate measures of height impacts on BMI calculation in people aged ≥75 years. Methods A cross-sectional study of 64 free-living older people (75–96 yrs) quantified height by two direct measurements, current height (HC ), and self-report (HR ) and surrogate equations using knee height (HK ) and ulna length (HU ). BMI calculated from current height measurement (BMIC ) was compared with BMI calculated using self-reported height (BMIR ) and height estimated from surrogate equations for knee height (BMIK ) and ulna length (BMIU ). Results Median difference of BMIC –BMIR was 2.31 kg/m2 . BMIK gave the closest correlation to BMIC . The percentage of study participants identified at increased risk of under-nutrition (BMI 
ISSN:2405-4577
2405-4577
DOI:10.1016/j.clnesp.2017.07.078