Resumen de Relationship between sex, body composition, gait speed and body satisfaction in elderly people

Pedro Ángel Latorre Román, Felipe García Pinillos, J.A. Huertas Herrador, Manuela Cózar Barba, M. Muñoz Jiménez

• The purpose of this study is to analyzebody satisfaction in non-institutionalized old people and its association with sex, body mass index (BMI) and gait speed.

  Methods: Hundred six people have participated, 38 men (age=74.60 �}6.67 years old) and 68 women (age=72.76 �}4.68 years old). The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) has been used together with body composition and a gait speedtest.

  Results: Prevalence of body dissatisfaction in old people is about 5.6 %. Women have higher body fat percentage and less muscle mass. Significant differences were not found (p.0.05) in the BSQ relating with sex. Obese old people with less gait speed showed higher score in BSQ. The Total BSQ is positively correlated with BMI (r=0.487, p<0.01), fat percentage (r=0.371, p<0.01) and negatively correlated with gait speed (r=-0.215 p<0.05) and perceived health status (r=-0.269, p<0.05).

  Conclusion: Older people�´s body satisfaction is positively associated with the perception of health and gait speed and negatively with BMI.