Shima Abdollahi ۱,۲ - ۱. Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. ۲. Dept of Nutrition, School of Health, ShahidSadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Omid Toupchian ۳ - ۳. Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Majid Rahmati ۴ - ۴. Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
Elaheh Honarkar Shafie ۵ - ۵. Dept. of clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Kurosh Djafarian ۵*

Background: The prevalence of obesity in the elderly is increasing worldwide. Obesity greatly impacts quality of life(QoL). The present study aimed to investigate the association between obesity and QoL among the elderly, in Tehran, Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study (observational) was conducted in ۲۰۱۴ in Tehran, Iran. A total of ۴۲۱ elderly people aged ≥ ۶۰ years old were recruited using simple random sampling methods. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured by standard methods; body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight. QoL was evaluated by the Persian language version of the SF-۳۶ questionnaire.The alpha value was set at ۰.۰۵ to indicate the statistical significant level. Independent samples t-tests and Chi-square tests were used for comparing the quantitative and categorical variables, respectively. One-way ANOVA, followed by Tukeys’ post-hoc test, was used to compare mean scores of SF-۳۶ scales between BMI groups. Pearson correlation coefficients were used for investigating the relationship between SF-۳۶ scores and anthropometric parameters.Results: The mean age of participants was ۷۷.۶ ± ۸.۶ years. The frequency of obesity and overweight (BMI ≥ ۲۵ kg/m۲) was ۵۹.۴% (۵۷.۲% in males and ۶۰.۶% in females). Except for the mental health scale, for all other SF-۳۶ scale mean scores, participants with overweight or obesity had lower scores compared to their normal weight counterparts (p < ۰.۰۵). Additionally, subjects with underweight had significantly lower scores for the vitality scale (p < ۰.۰۵).Conclusions: The results of present study persist on importance of preserving normal weight on improving quality of life in elderly. Although the observed association in this study was bidirectional and prospective studies are needed to investigate the cause and effect relationship.Background: The prevalence of obesity in the elderly is increasing worldwide. Obesity greatly impacts quality of life(QoL). The present study aimed to investigate the association between obesity and QoL among the elderly, in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study (observational) was conducted in ۲۰۱۴ in Tehran, Iran. A total of ۴۲۱ elderly people aged ≥ ۶۰ years old were recruited using simple random sampling methods. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured by standard methods; body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight. QoL was evaluated by the Persian language version of the SF-۳۶ questionnaire.The alpha value was set at ۰.۰۵ to indicate the statistical significant level. Independent samples t-tests and Chi-square tests were used for comparing the quantitative and categorical variables, respectively. One-way ANOVA, followed by Tukeys’ post-hoc test, was used to compare mean scores of SF-۳۶ scales between BMI groups. Pearson correlation coefficients were used for investigating the relationship between SF-۳۶ scores and anthropometric parameters. Results: The mean age of participants was ۷۷.۶ ± ۸.۶ years. The frequency of obesity and overweight (BMI ≥ ۲۵ kg/m۲) was ۵۹.۴% (۵۷.۲% in males and ۶۰.۶% in females). Except for the mental health scale, for all other SF-۳۶ scale mean scores, participants with overweight or obesity had lower scores compared to their normal weight counterparts (p < ۰.۰۵). Additionally, subjects with underweight had significantly lower scores for the vitality scale (p < ۰.۰۵). Conclusions: The results of present study persist on importance of preserving normal weight on improving quality of life in elderly. Although the observed association in this study was bidirectional and prospective studies are needed to investigate the cause and effect relationship.

Quality of life, Aged, Obesity, Body mass index, Waist circumference.