Premium
Age variations in the relation of body mass indices to estimates of body fat and muscle mass
Author(s) -
Micozzi Marc S.,
Harris Tamara M.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330810307
Subject(s) - body mass index , muscle mass , demography , medicine , national health and nutrition examination survey , risk factor , gerontology , disease , statistical significance , environmental health , population , sociology
In some chronic disease studies, distinctions have been made regarding the importance of body mass index (BMI) as a risk factor in younger versus older men and women. In order to determine the significance of these differences in BMI‐disease associations, we determined the extent of age‐dependent variations in the relation of BMIs to body composition in large probablity samples of U.S. men and women from the First and Second U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES I and II). BMIs are more highly correlated with estimates of body fat in younger than in older men and women, and with muscle mass in older than in younger adults. Caution should be exercised in interpreting the significance of BMI as a risk factor for chronic disease, particularly in comparison of age groups.