Factor analysis to determine relative contributions of strength, physical performance, body composition and muscle mass to disability and mobility disability outcomes in older men

Background: It is not known how measures of body composition, strength and physical performance are interrelated or how empirical groupings of these measures relate to disability and mobility disability. Methods: Muscle mass was assessed by D-3-creatine dilution (D3Cr muscle mass) in 1345 men (84.1 +/- 4.1 years) enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study. Participants completed anthropomorphic measures, walk speed, grip strength, chair stands, and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) estimated appendicular lean mass (ALM) and body fat percentage. Men reported limitations in mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs at initial and over 2.2 +/- 0.3 years. Factor analysis reduced variables into related groups and negative binomial models calculated relative risk (RR) of factors with mobility and disability outcomes. Results: Factor analysis reduced 10 variables into four factors: Factor 1, body composition, including ALM, body fat percentage, weight and muscle mass; Factor 2, body size and lean mass, including height, weight and ALM; Factor 3, muscle mass, strength and performance, including walk speed, chair stands, grip strength, and muscle mass; and Factor 4, lean mass and weight, including ALM and weight. Only Factor 3 was significantly associated (p-value < .001) with prevalent disability (RR per standard deviation increment in factor score (reflecting higher muscle mass, strength and physical performance) 0.44, 0.35-0.56) and mobility disability (RR 0.22, 0.17 0.28), and incident mobility disability (RR 0.37, 0.27-0.50). Conclusion: D3Cr muscle mass was the only body composition variable that co-segregated with strength and physical performance measures, and contributed to a factor that was associated with disability outcomes in older men.