Body composition analysis by bioelectrical impedance and its relationship with nutritional status in older adults: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Currently, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), adults aged ≥ 60 years make up approximately 6% of the total population, and this is predicted to reach around 23% by the year 2050 (1). The expected changes in the age distribution of the population will increase the incidence and prevalence of many chronic diseases (2,3),which are known to occur more commonly in the Saudi older age group (4-6). A poor diet, in addition to sedentary lifestyle and genetics, plays a crucial role in the increased prevalence of many chronic diseases (7,8). For example, the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension in the KSA, which are known risk factors of cardiovascular disease, a major cause of death in the KSA, have reached 49.6%, 25.1%, 32.1% and 30.3%, respectively (9). With ageing, there is a loss of lean body mass (mainly skeletal muscle), an increase in fat mass (10) and a decrease in resting energy expenditure (11). With the loss of muscle comes a loss of strength, and, consequently, older adults may become less active, which contributes to further loss of muscle. On the other hand, national surveys conducted in the KSA show that overweight and obesity have reached high rates in the adult population (12-14), which indicates that KSA is now facing a serious obesity-prevalence crisis. There has, however, been less focus on lean mass, and its functional significance, in the older Saudi population. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess body composition and the relationship between body composition and nutritional status in community dwelling older adults attending primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh city, KSA