The Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of the Rapid Sarcopenia Screening Questionnaire

This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Rapid Sarcopenia Screening (RSS) tool, designed to provide a quick and practical method for identifying sarcopenia in older adults.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 150 individuals aged 60 years and older attending a geriatric outpatient clinic in Türkiye. The RSS underwent forward-backward translation and linguistic validation. Construct validity was examined by correlation with the SARC-F. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, whereas intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Discriminant validity was analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

The median age of participants was 75 years (range: 62-103), and 59% were female. According to EWGSOP2 criteria, 27% were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The RSS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.768). A strong inverse correlation with SARC-F scores (rho = -0.688, p < 0.001) supported construct validity. ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminatory power (AUC = 0.817). Reliability was also excellent, with intra-rater and inter-rater ICCs of 0.980 and 0.963, respectively.

The Turkish RSS is a valid, reliable and practical screening tool for detecting sarcopenia in older adults. Its brevity and reliance on self-reported items support its feasibility for routine clinical practice and suggest its potential as an alternative screening method in Türkiye.