Body composition, body mass index, and accelerated biological aging in women beneficiaries of social programs in the southern Andes of Peru

Cahuana Lipa R.; Machaca Mamani J.C.; Torres Cruz E.; Anchari Oblitas Y.F.; Berduzco Torres N.; Sota Cano A.F. · Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria (2025) · DOI: 10.12873/453cahuana

Resumen

Introduction: Accelerated biological aging represents a key indicator of the risk of chronic diseases and functional decline, especially in women from high Andean areas living in poverty conditions. Objective: To compare body composition, body mass index (BMI), and accelerated biological aging in women who are beneficiaries of the JUNTOS and Vaso de Leche social programs in the southern Andes of Peru. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional, and comparative study was conducted. The sample consisted of 387 clinically stable adult women treated in the nutrition service of the San Jerónimo Health Center using electrical bioimpedance and anthropometry. Data were obtained through documentary review. For statistical analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk normality test was applied, followed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare groups according to social program. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Processing was performed in Rstudio and Python. Results: The mean body fat was high, 41.2 ± 7.83%, exceeding the normal range for women (20-33%), indicating generalized adiposity. The mean muscle mass was low, 25.13 ± 4.05%, below the optimal threshold (>28%), suggesting possible functional sarcopenia in adult women; the mean chronological age was 37.97 ± 11.16 years (range 18-78), and the mean biological age was older, 52.16 ± 12.93 years (range 34-80), reflecting accelerated aging. The mean BMI was 28.39 ± 4.56 kg/m2, placing the group as overweight. A significant positive relationship was found between BMI and body fat percentage, with the highest concentrations being those between 24-34 kg/m2 and 35%-50% fat, indicating overweight and obesity. 79.6% of participants presented accelerated aging, with a biological age much greater than chronological age. 14.7% presented expected aging, and 5.7% presented healthy aging, with a younger biological age. Conclusions: The extremely low p-value (p < 0.001) indicates significant differences in body fat between aging groups, confirming the association between excess fat and physiological decline, and validating body composition as a determinant of accelerated biological aging. Recommendations: It is recommended to strengthen differentiated interventions that consider the social environment and physiological characteristics in order to prevent accelerated biological aging in vulnerable high-Andean populations.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco; Universidad Nacional de Cañete; Universidad Tecnológica de los Andes