Knee extension strength and adiposity explain some of older adults' self-reported difficulty with mobility.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

As adults lose strength with age and an increasing proportion of older adults are overweight or obese, this study was undertaken to examine the contribution of strength and adiposity to mobility difficulties among community-dwelling men and women at least 65 years of age.

METHODS

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2002 provided complete demographic, anthropometric, strength, and self-reported mobility data for 687 men and women.

RESULTS

Spearman correlations of adiposity (.024-.149) and knee extension strength (-.120-.234) with mobility difficulty were mostly significant but not strong. Multiple regression showed that together, body mass index, knee extension force, and age offered the best explanation of mobility difficulty.

CONCLUSIONS

Adiposity and strength have relevance to the self-reported mobility difficulty of older adults. However, they leave most of such difficulty unexplained.