Sarcopenia Prevalence and Risk Factors among Residents in Aged Care

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and associated risk factors among older adults living in three residential aged care (RAC) facilities within Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 91 older adults (63% women, mean age ± SD; 86.0 ± 8.3 years) were recruited. Using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria, sarcopenia was diagnosed from the assessment of: appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height², using an InBody S10 body composition analyser and a SECA portable stadiometer or ulna length to estimate standing height; grip strength using a JAMAR handheld dynamometer; and physical performance with a 2.4-m gait speed test. Malnutrition risk was assessed using the Mini Nutrition Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Most (83%) of residents were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, and 41% were sarcopenic. Multivariate regression analysis showed lower body mass index (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7, p = 0.003) and lower MNA-SF score (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.4, p = 0.047) were predictive of sarcopenia after controlling for age, level of care, depression, and number of medications. Findings highlight the need for regular malnutrition screening in RAC to prevent the development of sarcopenia, where low weight or unintentional weight loss should prompt sarcopenia screening and assessment.