Body mass index and joint mobility in a group of elderly people from Romania

Multiple factors are responsible for changes in mobility and health with aging. Chronic pain, fractures or injuries, sarcopenia, obesity, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis or neuro-muscular diseases decrease the ability to walk or move in order to function independently. Obesity is one of the comorbidities that decrease the quality of life in old population for both men and women. Material and methods. The research was carried out online and 224 respondents over the age of 51 were selected for this study. Data were statistically analyzed. Results. The most common diseases affecting the joints in our study group are arthrosis (14.72%), osteoporosis (12.12%) and lumbosciatics (10.82%). 27.84% of women declared that they suffer from osteoporosis and only 6.67% of men. 36.61% of the subjects are overweight and 30.80% of them suffer from obesity, with a general BMI range between 14.2 and 50.00. Discussion. In our study group, as in scientific literature, elderly people’s mobility is affected mostly by conditions associated with high values of BMI and endocrine disorders.