BODY COMPOSITION IN OLDER PERSONS RESIDING IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS IN NORTHEASTERN POLAND: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Background
Older people differ in their physical, mental and social functioning. As we age, changes in the body are reflected in body composition. These changes allow for the assessment of the risk of many diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the body composition of older rural and urban residents in view of health problems associated with aging.

Material and methods
The study involved a total of 627 people aged 60 to 90 years. A questionnaire study and body composition analysis performed with the InBody 270 analyzer were used to assess the parameters in the study. Differences were assessed with two-tailed chi-square tests and the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results
A significant (p<0.001) difference was noted between the body weight of urban (73.39 kg) and rural dwellers (79.06 kg). Older women residing in cities were significantly (p<0.001) less heavy than female rural dwellers. Rural residents were characterized by significantly higher (p=0.001) values of Body Fat Mass (BFM), Fat-Free Mass (FFM) (p<0.001), Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) (p<0.001) and Body Mass Index (BMI) (p<0.001).

Conclusions
Older rural residents have less optimal body composition parameters than their urban peers. Women residing in rural areas are characterized by the highest BMI, PBF, VFL and degree of obesity, and they can be regarded as the highest risk group of age-related diseases and lower quality of life. Body composition parameters are most favorable in aging males residing in urban areas, who belong to the lowest risk group for disease. The participants’ BMI was correlated with the place of residence, membership in senior organizations and marital status.