Calf circumference measurement of rural elderly people in southern Brazil
- MOJ Gerontology & Geriatrics
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Jorge Luiz de Andrade Trindade,1 Marielly de Moraes,2 Vanessa Giendruczak da Silva,1Alexandre Simões Dias1
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Abstract
The measurements of
calf circumference (CC) indicate important nutritional and muscular
characteristics in the assessment of physiological aspects of aging. This
article aims to present data regarding the CC measurement of active elderly
rural workers in southern Brazil. It is a cross-sectional population study
conducted with 632 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years, comprising 46.8% (n=296) women and 53.2%
(n=336) men, selected by clusters. The instrument used for data collection was
the CC. The average CC found was 37.1 cm, exceeding cutoff values found in
other population studies. Women (n=296 - 46.8%) had an average CC of 37.6 cm,
which was higher than that of men (n=336 - 53.2%), who had an average of 36.7
cm. This difference is statistically significant (p=0.010), challenging the
common notion that men have greater muscle mass. Regarding age, younger elderly
individuals (60 to 69 years) have a calf circumference (CC) of 37.6 cm, while
older individuals (80+) have a CC of 35.5 cm, indicating a significant reduction
with advancing age (p<0.001). Similarly, regional differences reveal higher
CC values in the southern region of the state (39.17 cm) and significantly
lower values in other regions (p=0.001). The CC data provide insights into the
biological characteristics of aging in the population. However, the results
indicate the need for further research on the specificities of the group,
especially concerning values that exceed the cutoff points in the literature
and the significant reversal between men and women. This difference may be
linked to body fat distribution, hormonal or genetic factors that affect mass
accumulation. Therefore, a deeper analysis is essential to understand the
causes of this difference and its implications for the health of each gender,
also considering other contextual factors.
Keywords
rural population, health of the elderly, rural health, anthropometry, calf circumference
