Abdominal obesity, dynapenia and dynapenic-abdominal obesity as factors associated with falls

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether abdominal obesity, dynapenia and dynapenic-abdominal obesity are associated to the prevalence of single or recurrent falls in older adults.

Methods: We analyzed data from 1,046 community-dwelling participants of the SABE Study (Saúde, Bem-estar e Envelhecimento/Health, Well-Being and Ageing). Participants were classified as non-dynapenic/non-abdominal obese, abdominal obese only, dynapenic only, and dynapenic-abdominal obese based on waist circumference (>102cm for men and >88cm for women) and handgrip strength (<26kg for men and <16kg for women). Multinomial logistic regression models were ran to determine associations between dynapenia/obesity/dynapenic-abdominal obesity and single/recurring falls, taking non-fallers as reference.

Results: Abdominal obesity (RRR=1.90 95% CI: 1.02-3.55), dynapenia (RRR=1.80 95% CI: 1.02-3.19), and dynapenic-abdominal obesity (RRR=2.06 95% CI: 1.04-4.10) were associated with a single fall. A stronger association for dynapenic-abdominal obesity compared to the other two conditions alone was found. Dynapenia was the unique condition associated with recurrent falls (RRR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.13-4.81).

Conclusion: The present findings have important implications for the identification of older adults with a greater chance of falls and can help in the development of rehabilitation strategies. Therefore, abdominal obese, dynapenic, and dynapenic abdominal obese individuals should be target groups for the management of falls and their consequences.

Keywords: Ageing; Dynapenic-abdominal obesity; Falls; Handgrip strength; Waist circumference.