Ethnic and age-related fat free mass loss in older Americans: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)

Table 2 Distributions of fat free mass, fat free mass index and body weight in white and black men, and in women. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III 1988–94).

	Age Groups (yrs)	Sample Size	Whites Mean ± SE	African Americans Mean ± SE	P Value
FFMI (kg/m ²)
Men	40–49	708	20.64 ± 0.12	20.91 ± 0.14	0.153
	50–59	573	21.13 ± 0.11	20.92 ± 0.15	0.265
	60–69	718	21.00 ± 0.12	20.92 ± 0.17	0.704
	70–79	600	20.68 ± 0.14	20.33 ± 0.15	0.059
	> 80	455	19.93 ± 0.12	19.89 ± 0.32	0.904
Women	40–49	607	17.49 ± 0.10	18.70 ± 0.20	<0.001
	50–59	506	18.07 ± 0.17	18.71 ± 0.22	0.026
	60–69	581	18.09 ± 0.12	19.26 ± 0.29	<0.001
	70–79	605	18.21 ± 0.11	18.93 ± 0.25	0.014
	> 80	450	18.09 ± 0.09	18.34 ± 0.32	0.432
FFM (kg)
Men	40–49	708	64.83 ± 0.52	65.30 ± 0.61	0.550
	50–59	573	65.94 ± 0.38	64.29 ± 0.59	0.012
	60–69	718	64.42 ± 0.42	63.23 ± 0.66	0.139
	70–79	600	61.50 ± 0.43	60.36 ± 0.65	0.124
	> 80	455	57.74 ± 0.46	57.23 ± 1.32	0.715
Women	40–49	607	46.90 ± 0.35	50.28 ± 0.66	<0.001
	50–59	506	47.66 ± 0.46	49.59 ± 0.69	0.013
	60–69	581	46.94 ± 0.40	50.15 ± 0.69	0.001
	70–79	605	45.59 ± 0.39	48.01 ± 0.62	0.002
	> 80	450	43.83 ± 0.27	45.04 ± 0.83	0.143
Body Weight (kg)
Men	40–49	708	83.76 ± 1.00	82.10 ± 1.00	0.252
	50–59	573	85.35 ± 0.66	81.13 ± 1.03	<0.001
	60–69	718	83.94 ± 0.73	80.41 ± 1.13	0.013
	70–79	600	78.92 ± 0.70	76.91 ± 1.09	0.097
	> 80	455	73.25 ± 0.63	72.77 ± 2.07	0.834
Women	40–49	607	65.71 ± 0.66	71.71 ± 1.41	<0.001
	50–59	506	68.47 ± 0.93	71.83 ± 1.38	0.031
	60–69	581	66.86 ± 0.68	72.33 ± 1.09	<0.001
	70–79	605	64.11 ± 0.74	68.44 ± 1.07	0.002
	> 80	450	60.46 ± 0.45	61.93 ± 1.62	0.365

Note: statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05; Whites and African Americans refer to respective ethnic groups of non-Hispanic origin. FFM indicates fat free mass; FFMI indicates fat free mass index; and BMI indicates body mass index.

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