Obesity and associated lifestyle in a large sample of multi-morbid German primary care attendees

TY - JOUR

T1 - Obesity and associated lifestyle in a large sample of multi-morbid German primary care attendees

AU - Sikorski, Claudia

AU - Luppa, Melanie

AU - Weyerer, Siegfried

AU - König, Hans-Helmut

AU - Maier, Wolfgang

AU - Schön, Gerhard

AU - Petersen, Juliana J

AU - Gensichen, Jochen

AU - Fuchs, Angela

AU - Bickel, Horst

AU - Wiese, Birgitt

AU - Hansen, Heike

AU - van den Bussche, Hendrik

AU - Scherer, Martin

AU - Riedel-Heller, Steffi G

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Obesity and the accompanying increased morbidity and mortality risk is highly prevalent among older adults. As obese elderly might benefit from intentional weight reduction, it is necessary to determine associated and potentially modifiable factors on senior obesity. This cross-sectional study focuses on multi-morbid patients which make up the majority in primary care. It reports on the prevalence of senior obesity and its associations with lifestyle behaviors.METHODS: A total of 3,189 non-demented, multi-morbid participants aged 65-85 years were recruited in primary care within the German MultiCare-study. Physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and quantity and quality of nutritional intake were classified as relevant lifestyle factors. Body Mass Index (BMI, general obesity) and waist circumference (WC, abdominal obesity) were used as outcome measures and regression analyses were conducted.RESULTS: About one third of all patients were classified as obese according to BMI. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 73.5%. Adjusted for socio-demographic variables and objective and subjective disease burden, participants with low physical activity had a 1.6 kg/m2 higher BMI as well as a higher WC (4.9 cm, p<0.001). Current smoking and high alcohol consumption were associated with a lower BMI and WC. In multivariate logistic regression, using elevated WC and BMI as categorical outcomes, the same pattern in lifestyle factors was observed. Only for WC, not current but former smoking was associated with a higher probability for elevated WC. Dietary intake in quantity and quality was not associated with BMI or WC in either model.CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to clarify if the huge prevalence discrepancy between BMI and WC also reflects a difference in obesity-related morbidity and mortality. Yet, age-specific thresholds for the BMI are needed likewise. Encouraging and promoting physical activity in older adults might a starting point for weight reduction efforts.

AB - BACKGROUND: Obesity and the accompanying increased morbidity and mortality risk is highly prevalent among older adults. As obese elderly might benefit from intentional weight reduction, it is necessary to determine associated and potentially modifiable factors on senior obesity. This cross-sectional study focuses on multi-morbid patients which make up the majority in primary care. It reports on the prevalence of senior obesity and its associations with lifestyle behaviors.METHODS: A total of 3,189 non-demented, multi-morbid participants aged 65-85 years were recruited in primary care within the German MultiCare-study. Physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and quantity and quality of nutritional intake were classified as relevant lifestyle factors. Body Mass Index (BMI, general obesity) and waist circumference (WC, abdominal obesity) were used as outcome measures and regression analyses were conducted.RESULTS: About one third of all patients were classified as obese according to BMI. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 73.5%. Adjusted for socio-demographic variables and objective and subjective disease burden, participants with low physical activity had a 1.6 kg/m2 higher BMI as well as a higher WC (4.9 cm, p<0.001). Current smoking and high alcohol consumption were associated with a lower BMI and WC. In multivariate logistic regression, using elevated WC and BMI as categorical outcomes, the same pattern in lifestyle factors was observed. Only for WC, not current but former smoking was associated with a higher probability for elevated WC. Dietary intake in quantity and quality was not associated with BMI or WC in either model.CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to clarify if the huge prevalence discrepancy between BMI and WC also reflects a difference in obesity-related morbidity and mortality. Yet, age-specific thresholds for the BMI are needed likewise. Encouraging and promoting physical activity in older adults might a starting point for weight reduction efforts.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0102587

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0102587

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 25036102

VL - 9

SP - e102587

JO - PLOS ONE

JF - PLOS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 7

ER -