Sarcopenia Among Older People in the Philippines: A Scoping Review

Aims: This review aimed to identify and map the evidence about sarcopenia among older Filipinos. Methods: Studies about sarcopenia among Filipinos aged 60 and above were included. All studies regardless of type, setting, language, and timeframe were reviewed. The Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Embase, PubMed, and Health Research and Development Information Network were searched. The study was conducted per an a priori protocol and utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for scoping reviews. Results: From the 87 records identified, 20 studies published from 2013 to 2023 were eligible (≥ 5424 participants). The studies were varied; 11 cross-sectional, 2 conference lectures, 2 consensus reports, 1 meta-analysis, cohort study, case series, posthoc analysis, and continuing education. As to setting, 11 studies were conducted in the hospital and 4 in the community. On the level of prevention, 5 studies addressed the primary level, 10 studies secondary, and 2 studies both tertiary and secondary. The studies focused on: sarcopenia in a specific group (13 studies), consensus (4 studies), and education (3 studies). Conclusions: Sarcopenia studies among older Filipinos were limited. Most were hospital-based and involved patients with comorbidities. Some studies used sarcopenia assessment guidelines with Filipino normative references. Sarcopenia impacts the overall well-being of older Filipinos; hence more studies and health promotion programs are necessary.