Objective: To investigate the association between self-rated hypertension (sf-H) and anthropometric indicators of body fat and abdominal fat, in elderly of São Paulo.
Methods: Data on 1894 elderly were obtained from the Survey on Aging, Health and Well-being (SABE), 2000. The anthropometric indicators used were: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist/ hip ratio (WHR) and waist/height ratio (WHR). Binary logistic regression analysis, stratified by gender was used.
Results: In the final model (adjusted for age, education, smoking, physical activity and diabetes), for both genders BMI had a greater statistical strength, despite the fact that, in women, it is similar to other indicators. With the exception of WHR, in men, sf-H was positively and independently associated with other indicators.
Conclusion: Results suggest the relevance of those indicators for an early detection of risks for the development of this disease as well as to intervene in its prevention and control.