Evaluation of Trunk Muscle Mass in Older Adults Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis: A Scoping Review

Trunk muscle mass decreases with age; this decrease is reported to be related to physical function and activities of daily living. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) may be used to effectively evaluate trunk muscle mass as an alternative to conventional measurement methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This scoping review aimed to comprehensively examine existing knowledge on types and frequency of BIA devices and the relationship between trunk muscle mass and clinical outcomes.

We systematically reviewed studies involving older adults aged ≥65 years. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases; observational studies (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional) published between January 2000 and October 2023 were reviewed. Three independent reviewers summarized the BIA device model, BIA frequency, study design, study objectives, and outcomes.

In total, 7 of 744 identified studies were reviewed. Most participants included in this review were community-dwelling older adults and older patients with stroke. The main research design was a prospective or retrospective cohort study. In addition, a multi-frequency model was used for the BIA device. Common clinical outcome indicators were physical function (swallowing) and activities of daily living.

The findings of this review suggest that BIA is an effective method for evaluating trunk muscle mass in older adults. However, the causal relationship between trunk muscle mass and clinical outcomes is unclear, necessitating the accumulation of more data from additional clinical studies.