Population Institute

ABSTRACT

This study examines the extent to which adiposity markers and handgrip strength are associated with functional disability among community-dwelling Filipino older adults aged 60 years and over, while exploring possible gender differences. Data was drawn from the baseline survey of the Longitudinal Study of Aging and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP) conducted in 2018. Adiposity markers included BMI and waist circumference (WC) while hand-grip strength was assessed using the average grip strength values taken using a dynamometer device for each hand. Older adults were considered to have a functional disability if they had difficulty with at least one activity on either the ADL or IADL scales. Results showed that one in three older Filipinos had functional disability, and it varies significantly by gender, where the prevalence is higher in older women than in men. The findings also revealed marked gender differences for each marker of adiposity and grip strength in older Filipinos. BMI scores and waist circumference are significantly greater among older women than in men while grip strength is relatively much higher in older men than women.

Binary logistic regression models stratified by sex highlighted that among the anthropometric measures, only grip strength was negatively and significantly associated with functional disability even adjusted for other sociodemographic and health characteristics for both sexes. However, for older women, being obese (with a BMI of >27 kg/m2) had higher odds of reporting ADL/IADL limitations compared to those with normal BMI, all else being equal.

Although this calls for longitudinal approaches to draw causal inferences, the findings of the study can be used to inform future health policies for older Filipinos to help address these prevailing functional disabilities, which are common in aging societies.