The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of chronological age, body weight, body height, body mass index, and body adiposity on the functional capacity to perform daily living activities of women with > 47 years of age. The sample comprised 129 women from 47 to 77 years of age. The total body adiposity (TBA) was represented by the sum total of biceps (BI), triceps (TRI), subscapular (SB), middle axillary (MA), suprailiac (SI), abdominal (ABD), anterior thigh (AT), and middle calf (MC) skinfolds. Central body adiposity (CBA) was taken as the sum total of SB, MA, SI, and ABD, whereas peripheral body adiposity (PBA) was represented by the sum total of BI, TRI, AT and MC. The performance of daily living activities was estimated by: velocity to move from sitting to standing position (VSSP1), velocity to move from supine to standing position (VSSP2), velocity to climb stairs (VCS), and velocity to put on snickers and tie the laces (VWS). The quartile (Q) was calculated for all independent variables (chronological age, body weight, body height, body mass index, and body adiposity [total, central and peripheral]). The statistical analysis used was ANOVA "One Way" with post-hoc Bonferroni, and the coefficient of linear correlation (Pearson and Spearman Rank-Order). Statistical differences occurred specially between quartiles of extremities (Q1 x Q4) for VSSP1 and VSSP2 (except for body weight and BMI), while for VCS it was between Q2 x Q4 (chronological age). The independent variables exerted no effect on VWS. The percent range was from 14.1% (chronological age [VSSP2: Q3 x Q4]) to 36.1% (TBA [VSSP1: Q2 x Q4]). Variables that exerted negative repercussion on functional capacity to perform daily living activities were central body adiposity, chronological age, total body adiposity, peripheral body adiposity, BMI and body weight, in that order.
Body composition; Body adiposity; Functional capacity
