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Rafaela Andrade do Nascimento 1 Article
Exploring the relationships between anthropometric indices of adiposity and physical performance in middle-aged and older Brazilian women: a canonical correlation analysis
Rafaela Andrade do Nascimento, Mariana Carmem Apolinário Vieira, Juliana Fernandes, Ingrid Guerra Azevedo, Mayle Andrade Moreira, José Vilton Costa, Saionara Maria Aires da Câmara, Álvaro Campos Cavalcanti Maciel
Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022074.   Published online September 13, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022074
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study analyzed the influence of anthropometric indices of adiposity on the physical performance of middle-aged and older women.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 women from 50 years to 80 years old. Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics were analyzed, and physical performance was evaluated. The statistical analysis used measures of central tendency and dispersion for descriptive data, Pearson correlations to demonstrate the initial associations between the variables, and canonical correlation (CC) to evaluate the relationship between the set of anthropometric adiposity indices and performance-related variables.
RESULTS
The participants had a mean age of 58.57±8.21 years, a visceral adiposity index of 7.09±4.23, a body mass index of 29.20±4.94 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, and a conicity index of 1.33±0.07. The average handgrip strength was 25.06±4.89 kgf, gait speed was 1.07±0.23 m/s, and the mean Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score was 10.83±1.36. The first canonical function presented the highest shared variance, CC, and redundancy index (cumulative percentage of variance, 82.52; Wilks’ lambda, 0.66; CC, 0.532; p<0.001). From the analysis of this canonical function, the conicity index (-0.59) displayed inverse correlations with handgrip strength (0.84) and the SPPB (0.68), as well as a direct correlation with gait speed (-0.43).
CONCLUSIONS
In middle-aged and older women, there was an inverse relationship between the conicity index and muscle strength and power, while a direct relationship was found between the same index and gait speed.
Summary
Key Message
In aging process there is an increase in body adiposity and reduction in muscle size, mainly in women, due to the consequences of menopause and lower level of physical activity. This study analyzed the influence of anthropometric indices of adiposity on the physical performance of middle-aged and older women (50-80 years old), using canonical correlation analysis. The findings showed an inverse relationship between the conicity index and muscle strength and power, while a direct relationship between the same index and gait speed. Therefore, physical performance is influenced by changes in body composition that occur with age in this population group

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