Associations of Sarcopenic Parameters with Dysphagia in Older Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study

To investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and dysphagia in nursing homes and to analyze the associations between sarcopenic parameters and dysphagia.

A cross-sectional study.

Nursing homes in Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

The study included 365 participants (122 men and 243 women) aged 60 years or older who could walk independently or with walking aids for at least 50 meters.

Dysphagia was defined by the water swallow test and sarcopenia and its components were evaluated by the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, 2019. The values and percentages of sarcopenia associated parameters in relation to dysphagia were analyzed in both male and female residents. The Benjamini-Hochberg method was used to adjust for multiple comparisons. The relationship between sarcopenic components and dysphagia was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis by sex.

A total of 365 residents (mean age: 84.28 years; 122 men and 243 women) were included in the study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 63.0% (n=230) and dysphagia in 75.3% (n = 275) of residents. For men, the percentage of sarcopenia was higher in residents with dysphagia. However, the sarcopenia percentage did not differ significantly between women with and without dysphagia. In both men and women, the handgrip strength (HGS) values were significantly lower in the dysphagic residents. The calf circumference (CC) value and appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) were significantly lower in dysphagic men, while the SARC-CalF scores were higher. In women, the SPPB score was lower in residents with dysphagia. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low calf circumference (OR 4.415, 95% CI 1.561-12.490) and sarcopenia (OR 2.968, 95% CI 1.121-7.858) were significantly associated with dysphagia in men after adjusting for co-factors.

There is a high percentage of both dysphagia and sarcopenia in nursing home residents in West China. Low calf circumference and sarcopenia had strong associations with dysphagia among male nursing home residents.