The Association Between Body Mass Index and Comorbidity, Quality of Life, and Cognitive Function in the Elderly Population.
Masoume Rambod, Fariba Ghodsbin, Ali Moradi
PMID 32039279WHAT IT FOUND
Overweight and obese older adults had lower quality of life and lower cognitive screening scores than normal-weight adults.
The study cannot show weight caused these differences.
Key findings
01Higher BMI was associated with lower quality of life in the older adults.
02Higher BMI was associated with lower cognitive function in the older adults.
03Weight groups differed for hypertension and cancer, but neither was associated with BMI in the regression analysis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It cannot show that higher BMI caused lower quality of life or cognitive impairment, because the study measured associations at one time. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from one elderly clinic in Iran, so the results may not apply to other older adults. The study excluded people with dementia and other mental disorders, yet 93 participants had cognitive impairment on the screening test; the paper does not explain how these exclusions and screening results were reconciled.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that obesity caused lower quality of life or cognitive impairment. The study measured associations at one time in a convenience sample, so it cannot show cause or that weight change would improve these outcomes.