Associations between the quality of life in sarcopenia measured with the SarQoL® and nutritional status

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and health-related quality of life after adjusting for essential factors of muscle mass, calf circumference, grip strength, and the timed up and go (TUG) test for diagnosis of sarcopenia.

The subjects of this study were those who visited a health care center or a senior welfare center among the aged 65 years or older living in a community in two counties (Jinju, Sacheon), and the survey was conducted from April to August 2019. Among them, those with cardiovascular disease, cognitive disorder, or malignancy were excluded. To determine the nutritional status of the elderly subjects, a questionnaire-based screening tool called DETERMINE was used. Developed as a health-related quality of life tool for sarcopenia, the Sarcopenia-specific Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire was used. For screening of sarcopenia, a rapid questionnaire based on self-reported information about falls, mobility, and strength known as the SARC-F questionnaire was used. Assessment of sarcopenia included skeletal muscle mass, calf circumference, grip strength, and the TUG test.

A total of 324 elderly people living in rural villages who were able to move to senior and welfare centers was surveyed. As a result of evaluating the association between SarQoL and nutritional risk in elderly subjects, the association was statistically significant in the moderate-risk group (B = - 5.542, p = 0.001) and in the high-risk group (B = - 8.136, p < 0.001) in comparison to the low-risk group. Significant correlations were found in all seven domains of SarQoL, except the fear domain.

This study confirms an association between quality of life dimensions surveyed by the SarQoL questionnaire and nutritional status in elderly subjects. Therefore, appropriate interventions are needed following brief evaluation of sarcopenia and nutritional deficiency among elderly people in communities.