The body composition phenotype of Irish adults aged 18-81 years.

BACKGROUND: Regional distribution of adiposity and lean tissue mass are predictors of health risk that cannot be defined by body mass index but can be attained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Age and sex-related adult ranges of whole-body and regional adiposity and lean tissue are not available for Irish men and women. AIMS: The aim of this study was to construct a DXA-based body composition profile of Irish adults, focusing on age- and sex-related difference in total and regional adiposity and lean tissue mass. METHODS: The study population comprised a convenience sample of 1606 participants, aged 18-81 years participating in the University of Limerick Body Composition study. Data were analysed to construct stature-normalised indices of body fat mass (BFMI), site-specific visceral adiposity, lean tissue mass (LTMI) and appendicular lean tissue mass (ALTMI). RESULTS: Compared to the young adult (18-29 years), BFMI was higher in women (p < 0.001) but plateaued in men aged >50 years. For men, age-related difference in LTMI was not evident but ALTMI was significantly lower in those >50 years. For women, there was evidence of significantly lower LTMI with advancing age and, similar to men, significantly lower ALTMI in those >50 years. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide an insight into the age-related anthropometric phenotype of Irish adults. Centile data have been constructed that provide informative data of the age and sex-specific range of adiposity and lean tissue mass. These data may assist in identification of those at risk of aberrant, body composition-related disease.

Vehicle head restraint positioning knowledge and behaviours in a sample of Irish drivers.

A correctly positioned vehicle head restraint (HR) can reduce whiplash injury risk in collisions, however, HRs are often sub-optimally positioned. The primary aim of this study was to investigate vehicle HR position and driver knowledge of correct HR positioning in an Irish population. Secondary aims were to investigate the associations with driver age, gender and vehicle age. Data collection involved HR measurement and a driver questionnaire (n = 110). Just 27% of drivers had optimal HR positioning, while 30% had poor or marginal positioning. Newer vehicles (<5 years old) had better positioned HR in the horizontal plane (p = 0.036), than older vehicles. Younger drivers (<30 years) were more likely to have poorer positioning of HR (p = 0.002), than the 30 years or over group. Females were more likely to have better vertical positioning of their HR (p = 0.003) than males. Driver knowledge of correct position was variable, and not associated with actual HR position, with 65% knowing the correct vertical positioning standard but only 27% identifying the correct horizontal position. Many drivers have inadequately positioned HR, which needs to be addressed by improved vehicle design and public education.