Body Mass Index Is Associated with Physical Performance in Suburb-Dwelling Older Chinese: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Physical performance is reported to have various beneficial effects on human health, especially in older individuals. Although such effects are associated with body mass index (BMI), the relationship between BMI and physical performance has not been clarified. Design We conducted a cross-sectional study of 966 suburb-dwelling Tianjin individuals aged >= 60 years (average age 67.5 +/- 6.02, men 435, women 531). Mobility, balance, and muscle strength were assessed by walking speed, timed up-and-go test (TUGT), and grip strength, respectively. The subjects were categorized into three groups based on BMI (kg/m(2)) as follows: normal weight, 18.5 <= BMI <= 23.9; overweight, 24.0 <= BMI <= 27.9; and obese, BMI >= 28.0. Result After adjusting for all other variables, relative grip strength decreased when BMI increased in both men and women (P for trend < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). BMI may be negatively associated with TUGT performance in the women only. There was no apparent association between walking speed and BMI in either sex, but after adjusting for age, walking speed was faster when BMI increased in women (P for trend=0.0162). Conclusion This study suggests that in older individuals, higher BMI is associated with poor muscle strength in both sexes.