Body mass index and functional performance of the elderly persons

Article

Advances in Gerontology

October 2011, Volume 1, Issue 4, pp 317-321 
DOI: 10.1134/S207905701104014X

First online: 05 January 2012

Body mass index and functional performance of the elderly persons

• O. A. Poliakov
• , O. S. Tomarevskaya

Abstract

We have studied the physiological characteristics of the general working capacity of 45 persons with ages between 80 and 94. We have found that 13% of the respondents have preserved the general working performance. The other 15.6% of the subjects have developed the pathology of the musculoskeletal system that limited the volume of their motion but still allowed to perform certain jobs. Studying the physiological and professional anamnesis parameters showed that about 70% of the “fourth age” people had significant reduction of self-service and total working capacity. People with higher level of body mass index had better functional indices of physical and mental performance. We have defined the principal changes of the aging persons’ general working capacity, particularly their physiological, rehabilitation, and gerontechnological characteristics.

Keywords

body mass index functional activity aging

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S207905701104014X