Anthropometric measurements of a sixty-year and older Mexican urban group.

In the Third World Countries, little attention has been paid to health and nutrition aspects of the elderly population. In Mexico, there are no data that provides anthropometric parameters of this group. The purpose of this study was to obtain anthropometric measurements of 60-year-old-and older Mexican men and women in Mexico City. A cross sectional study was carried out. The sample was selected from men and women registered as retired or pensioned by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and from those requesting identification cards from the Elderly National Institute (INSEN). Standardized protocols were used to register anthropometric measurements. The group examined included 1091 people, 484 males and 607 females. The mean age of the population was 66.1 (s.d. 6.1). The values in the male group were higher than in the female group in height, weight and waist circumference; women showed higher values in body mass index (BMI), arm circumference, triceps skinfold and hip circumference (p < 0.01). The data gathered up were divided in five age groups; each one in a five-year interval. Percentiles of the anthropometric measurements according to the age group and gender are presented. Regression analysis indicated that the measurements of weight, body mass index, arm circumference and arm muscle area, showed lower values in the older groups. An important segment of the population studied had a BMI higher to the normal values. Additional studies covering other communities in Mexico with a different socioeconomic and ethnic composition, would be necessary to obtain a better characterization of the Mexican elderly.

Overweight in elderly Mexican women of a marginal community.

Obesity is a main risk factor in the development of diseases, which are causes of death in elderly population. Socio-economic characteristics had an impact in the prevalence of obesity. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity in elderly Mexican women living in a marginal community and compare their results with those of women of urban and rural areas in Mexico. The study has a cross sectional design. Standardised nutritionist carried out the measurements. The international techniques recommended were used to measure weight and height. To estimate the proportion of overweight and obesity, the body mass index (BMI) was used following the WHO categories. A total of 249 elderly women were examined. The mean age was 71.6 (sd 7.8). No difference in age was found in the three communities visited (p>0.05). The mean BMI in the urban women was 26.7 (sd 4.6), in the rural 24.5 (sd 3.9), and in the marginal group 28.6 (sd 5.5) (p<0.0001). The proportion of overweight and obese women was in the urban group 60.7%, in the rural 36.2%, and in the marginal women 76.5% (p<0.001). The results of this study indicated the presence of a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in elderly women of urban and particularly in the marginal areas. Marginality seams to be a risk marker of obesity in elderly women in Mexico. Intervention programs aimed to decrease the prevalence of obesity and improve nutritional condition in this group are urgent.