Logo image
Back
Associations of Obesity Phenotypes with Incident Fall Rates: Results from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health in Older Women (OPACH) Study
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Associations of Obesity Phenotypes with Incident Fall Rates: Results from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health in Older Women (OPACH) Study

Hajin Jang, Carolyn J Crandall, Shweta Gore, Chen Hu, Andrea Z LaCroix, Michael J LaMonte, Longjian Liu, Kerri S Freeland, Jane A Cauley, Marcia L Stefanick, …
The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, v 81(7), Forthcoming
10 Jun 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glag152
PMID: 42271627
url
https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glag152View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Sarcopenia adiposity Body Composition
Obesity and sarcopenia may influence fall risk through different mechanisms, but how different phenotypes affect fall rates is unclear, especially among older women. This study examined associations of whole-body obesity, abdominal obesity, and sarcopenic obesity with incident fall rates among community-dwelling older women in the United States. We analyzed data from 4,654 ambulatory women aged ≥63 years in the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health study, an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative. Whole-body overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) 25 to < 30 kg/m2 and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively; abdominal obesity as waist circumference >88 cm; and sarcopenia as grip strength <20 kg. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the coexistence of obesity (either whole-body or abdominal) and sarcopenia. Falls were recorded using daily calendars over 13 months. Negative binomial regression models estimated associations between obesity phenotypes and monthly fall rates, adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and health-related covariates. Whole-body overweight and obesity were associated with lower fall rates compared to normal BMI (overweight IRR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.73, 0.92; obesity IRR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.66, 0.87). Abdominal obesity showed a modest association with reduced fall rates (IRR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78, 0.96). In contrast, sarcopenia alone (IRR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.24, 1.68), and sarcopenic obesity (IRR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.39) were associated with significantly higher fall rates. Our findings underscore the critical role of muscle strength loss, rather than excess adiposity, in fall risk among older women. Future interventions to reduce sarcopenia may reduce fall rates.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

Logo image