Osteosarcopenic Obesity: Prevalence and Relation With Frailty and Physical Performance in Middle-Aged and Older Women

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) and to investigate its association with frailty and physical performance in Mexican community-dwelling middle-aged and older women.

Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort.

The FraDySMex study, a 2-round evaluation of community-dwelling adults from 2 municipalities in Mexico City.

Participants were 434 women aged 50 years or older, living in the designated area in Mexico City.

Body composition was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and OSO was defined by the coexistence of sarcopenia, osteopenia, or osteoporosis and obesity. Information regarding demographic characteristics; comorbidities; mental status; nutritional status; and history of falls, fractures, and hospitalization was obtained from questionnaires. Objective measurements of muscle strength and function were grip strength using a hand dynamometer, 6-meter gait speed using a GAIT Rite instrumented walkway, and lower extremity functioning measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Phenotype (Fried criteria), the Gerontopole Frailty Screening Tool (GFST), and the FRAIL scale, to build 3 logistic regression models.

The prevalence of OSO was 19% (n = 81). Frailty (according to the Frailty Phenotype and the GFST) and poor physical performance measured by the SPPB were independently associated with OSO, controlled by age. In the logistic regression model assessing frailty with the Frailty Phenotype, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for frailty was 4.86 (2.47-9.55), and for poor physical performance it was 2.11 (1.15-3.89). In the model assessing frailty with the GFST, it was 2.12 (1.10-4.11), and for poor physical performance it was 2.15 (1.18-3.92). Finally, in the model with the FRAIL scale, it was 1.69 (0.85-3.36) for frailty and 2.29 (1.27-4.15) for poor physical performance.

OSO is a frequent condition in middle-aged and older women, and it is independently associated with frailty and poor physical performance.