Prevalence and determinants of sarcopenia risk among older people: evidence from a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v75.118141Keywords:
Sarcopenia, risk factors, prevalence, predictors, older adults, cross-sectionalAbstract
Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia is associated with multiple negative consequences. This study aims to explore the prevalence of sarcopenia risk and its possible associated factors among older adults in Hungary.
Methods: A total of 310 older adults were included in this cross-sectional study. The study protocol was registered on clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT05313360 on 28 March 2022. The participants filled a questionnaire that included demographics, medical history, nutritional status, physical activity level, health-related quality of life, and general health status. SARC-F questionnaire was used to screen for sarcopenia risk among the study participants.
Results: Our results showed that the prevalence of sarcopenia risk was 26.8%. The predictors in the univariate regression model included age (p < .001), number of medications (p < .001), number of diseases (p < .001), number of outpatient physician visits(p = .001), MNA-SF score (p < .001), and GPAQ score (p < .001). After controlling for age in Block 1 (R² = .295), our multivariate linear hierarchical regression model (Block 2, R² = .483) demonstrated that the number of medications (p = .013), number of diseases (p = .007), MNA-SF score (p < .001), and total GPAQ score (p = .004) significantly were significant independent predictors of a greater sarcopenia risk.
Conclusion: the number of medications, the number of diseases, MNA-SF, and total GPAQ scores significantly predicted sarcopenia risk. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to examine the development of sarcopenia over timewith.
References
Ács, P., Betlehem, J., Oláh, A., Bergier, B., Morvay-Sey, K., Makai, A., & Prémusz, V. (2020). Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire among healthy Hungarian adults. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1056. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08477-z
Aguilar-Farias, N., & Leppe Zamora, J. (2017). Is a single question of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) valid for measuring sedentary behaviour in the Chilean population? Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(16), 1652–1657. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1229010
Arisanti, R. R. S., Purwanto, B., Tinduh, D., Wiyasihati, S. I., & Yusuf, H. (2026). Sarcopenia markers, physical performance and sleep quality among high-risk students. Retos, 74, 246–257. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v74.117311
Azzolina, D., Vedovelli, L., Gallipoli, S., French, M., Ghidina, M., Lamprecht, M., Tsiountsioura, M., Lorenzoni, G., & Gregori, D. (2020). Nutrients and Caloric Intake Associated with Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes in the Elderly European Population. Nutrients, 12(9), 2746. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092746
Bano, G., Trevisan, C., Carraro, S., Solmi, M., Luchini, C., Stubbs, B., Manzato, E., Sergi, G., & Veronese, N. (2017). Inflammation and sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas, 96, 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.11.006
Beaudart, C., Demonceau, C., Reginster, J., Locquet, M., Cesari, M., Cruz Jentoft, A. J., & Bruyère, O. (2023). Sarcopenia and health‐related quality of life: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 14(3), 1228–1243. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13243
Beaudart, C., Locquet, M., Reginster, J.-Y., Delandsheere, L., Petermans, J., & Bruyère, O. (2018). Quality of life in sarcopenia measured with the SarQoL®: Impact of the use of different diagnosis definitions. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 30(4), 307–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0866-9
Bernabei, R., Lattanzio, F., & Paolisso, G. (2012). Adverse Drug Events in Older Geriatric Patients. Drug Safety, 35(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03319098
Bull, F. C., Maslin, T. S., & Armstrong, T. (2009). Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ): Nine Country Reliability and Validity Study. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.6.6.790
Concha-Cisternas, Y., Guzmán-Muñoz, E., Sepúlveda-Loyola, W., Jofré-Saldía, E., Álvarez-Bustos, A., Sepúlveda, R. Y., & Valdés-Badilla, P. (2026). Factores asociados a sarcopenia en personas mayores autovalentes: Un estudio transversal. Retos, 74, 276–288. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v74.116807
Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Baeyens, J. P., Bauer, J. M., Boirie, Y., Cederholm, T., Landi, F., Martin, F. C., Michel, J.-P., Rolland, Y., Schneider, S. M., Topinková, E., Vandewoude, M., Zamboni, M., & European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. (2010). Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis: Report of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Age and Ageing, 39(4), 412–423. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afq034
Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyère, O., Cederholm, T., Cooper, C., Landi, F., Rolland, Y., Sayer, A. A., Schneider, S. M., Sieber, C. C., Topinkova, E., Vandewoude, M., Visser, M., & Zamboni, M. (2019). Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 48(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169
Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyère, O., Cederholm, T., Cooper, C., Landi, F., Rolland, Y., Sayer, A. A., Schneider, S. M., Sieber, C. C., Topinkova, E., Vandewoude, M., Visser, M., Zamboni, M., & Writing Group for the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2), and the Extended Group for EWGSOP2. (2019). Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 48(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169
de, C. M. (2020). Developing a simple global physical activity questionnaire for population studies. Australasian Epidemiologist, 9(2), 6–9. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.432366132879428
Debes, W. A., Sadaqa, M., Németh, Z., Aldardour, A., Prémusz, V., & Hock, M. (2024). Effect of Resistance Exercise on Body Composition and Functional Capacity in Older Women with Sarcopenic Obesity—A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13020441
Elm, E. von, Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., Vandenbroucke, J. P., & Initiative, for the S. (2007). The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for Reporting Observational Studies. PLOS Medicine, 4(10), e296. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040296
Fernández, J. A., Farfán, D. C., & Cuartas, L. A. H. (2025). Condición física funcional, riesgo de sarcopenia, fuerza prensil y deterioro cognitivo en mujeres mayores físicamente activas. Retos, 73, 1199–1219. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117099
Fonfría-Vivas, R., Pérez-Ros, P., Barrachina-Igual, J., Pablos-Monzó, A., & Martínez-Arnau, F. M. (2023). Assessing quality of life with SarQol is useful in screening for sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in older women. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 35(10), 2069–2079. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-023-02488-7
Gajda, R., Jeżewska-Zychowicz, M., Raczkowska, E., Rak, K., Szymala-Pędzik, M., Noculak, Ł., & Sobieszczańska, M. (2024). Association of Dietary Patterns, Suspected Sarcopenia, and Frailty Syndrome among Older Adults in Poland—A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients, 16(18), 3090. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183090
Gao, Q., Hu, K., Yan, C., Zhao, B., Mei, F., Chen, F., Zhao, L., Shang, Y., Ma, Y., & Ma, B. (2021). Associated Factors of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 13(12), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124291
Gasparik, A. I., Demián, M.-B., Pascanu, I. M., Merlan, I., Hodinka, L., & Vereckei, E. (2020a). [Evaluation of the Hungarian-language SARC-F sarcopenia-screening questionnaire]. Orvosi Hetilap, 161(47), 2000–2005. https://doi.org/10.1556/650.2020.31932
Gasparik, A. I., Demián, M.-B., Pascanu, I. M., Merlan, I., Hodinka, L., & Vereckei, E. (2020b). [Evaluation of the Hungarian-language SARC-F sarcopenia-screening questionnaire]. Orvosi Hetilap, 161(47), 2000–2005. https://doi.org/10.1556/650.2020.31932
Geerinck, A., Demián, M.-B., Beaudart, C., & Gasparik, A.-I. (2022). Validation of the Hungarian Version of the SarQoL® Questionnaire and Its Association with the SARC-F Screening Tool. The Journal of Frailty & Aging, 11(3), 267–273. https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2021.53
Hämäläinen, O., Tirkkonen, A., Savikangas, T., Alén, M., Sipilä, S., & Hautala, A. (2024). Low physical activity is a risk factor for sarcopenia: A cross-sectional analysis of two exercise trials on community-dwelling older adults. BMC Geriatrics, 24(1), 212. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04764-1
Hirani, V., Blyth, F., Naganathan, V., Couteur, D. G. L., Seibel, M. J., Waite, L. M., Handelsman, D. J., & Cumming, R. G. (2015). Sarcopenia Is Associated With Incident Disability, Institutionalization, and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Older Men: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 16(7), 607–613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2015.02.006
Hoang, D. K., Doan, M. C., Le, N. M., Nguyen, H. G., Ho‐Pham, L. T., & Nguyen, T. V. (2023). Prevalence of and risk factors for sarcopenia in community‐dwelling people: The Vietnam Osteoporosis Study. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 15(1), 380–386. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13383
Jensen, L. D., Andersen, O., Hallin, M., & Petersen, J. (2014). Potentially inappropriate medication related to weakness in older acute medical patients. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 36(3), 570–580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-014-9940-y
Kim, J. Y., Oh, S., Park, H. Y., Jun, J. H., & Kim, H. J. (2020). Author Correction: Comparisons of different indices of low muscle mass in relationship with cardiometabolic disorder. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 750. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57828-8
König, M., Spira, D., Demuth, I., Steinhagen-Thiessen, E., & Norman, K. (2018). Polypharmacy as a Risk Factor for Clinically Relevant Sarcopenia: Results From the Berlin Aging Study II. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 73(1), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx074
Kuzuya, M. (2024). Drug-related sarcopenia as a secondary sarcopenia. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 24(2), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.14770
Liu, C., Wong, P. Y., Chung, Y. L., Chow, S. K.-H., Cheung, W. H., Law, S. W., Chan, J. C. N., & Wong, R. M. Y. (2023). Deciphering the “obesity paradox” in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis of sarcopenic obesity. Obesity Reviews, 24(2), e13534. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13534
Locquet, M., Bruyère, O., Lengelé, L., Reginster, J. Y., & Beaudart, C. (2021). Relationship between smoking and the incidence of sarcopenia: The SarcoPhAge cohort. Public Health, 193, 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2021.01.017
Malmstrom, T. K., & Morley, J. E. (2013). SARC-F: A Simple Questionnaire to Rapidly Diagnose Sarcopenia. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 14(8), 531–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.018
Meng, S., He, X., Fu, X., Zhang, X., Tong, M., Li, W., Zhang, W., Shi, X., & Liu, K. (2024). The prevalence of sarcopenia and risk factors in the older adult in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1415398. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1415398
Mesinovic, J., Zengin, A., Courten, B. D., Ebeling, P. R., & Scott, D. (2019).
Sarcopenia and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A bidirectional relationship
. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 12, 1057–1072. https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S186600Messier, V., Rabasa-Lhoret, R., Barbat-Artigas, S., Elisha, B., Karelis, A. D., & Aubertin-Leheudre, M. (2011). Menopause and sarcopenia: A potential role for sex hormones. Maturitas, 68(4), 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.01.014
Milewska, M., Przekop, Z., Szostak-Węgierek, D., Chrzanowska, M., Raciborski, F., Traczyk, I., Sińska, B. I., & Samoliński, B. (2022). Prevalence of Risk of Sarcopenia in Polish Elderly Population—A Population Study. Nutrients, 14(17), 3466. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14173466
Nasso, R., D’Errico, A., Motti, M. L., Masullo, M., & Arcone, R. (2024). Dietary Protein and Physical Exercise for the Treatment of Sarcopenia. Clinics and Practice, 14(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract14040117
Pacifico, J., Reijnierse, E. M., Lim, W. K., & Maier, A. B. (2021). The Association between Sarcopenia as a Comorbid Disease and Incidence of Institutionalisation and Mortality in Geriatric Rehabilitation Inpatients: REStORing health of acutely unwell adulTs (RESORT). Gerontology, 68(5), 498–508. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517461
Pana, A., Sourtzi, P., Kalokairinou, A., & Velonaki, V. S. (2022). Sarcopenia and polypharmacy among older adults: A scoping review of the literature. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 98, 104520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104520
Pap, Z., Kalabiska, I., Balogh, Á., & Bhattoa, H. P. (2022). Prevalence of sarcopenia in community dwelling outpatient postmenopausal Hungarian women. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23(1), 207. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05167-2
Papadopoulou, S. K. (2020). Sarcopenia: A Contemporary Health Problem among Older Adult Populations. Nutrients, 12(5), 1293. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051293
Petermann-Rocha, F., Balntzi, V., Gray, S. R., Lara, J., Ho, F. K., Pell, J. P., & Celis-Morales, C. (2022). Global prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 13(1), 86–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12783
Riuzzi, F., Sorci, G., Arcuri, C., Giambanco, I., Bellezza, I., Minelli, A., & Donato, R. (2018). Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sarcopenia: The S100B perspective. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 9(7), 1255–1268. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12363
Rubenstein, L. Z., Harker, J. O., Salvà, A., Guigoz, Y., & Vellas, B. (2001). Screening for undernutrition in geriatric practice: Developing the short-form mini-nutritional assessment (MNA-SF). The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 56(6), M366-372. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/56.6.m366
Sadaqa, M., Debes, W. A., Németh, Z., Bera-Baka, Z., Vachtler-Szepesi, M., Nácziné Földes, L., Prémusz, V., & Hock, M. (2024). Multicomponent Exercise Intervention for Preventing Falls and Improving Physical Functioning in Older Nursing Home Residents: A Single-Blinded Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13061577
Sadaqa, M., Németh, Z., Makai, A., Prémusz, V., & Hock, M. (2023). Effectiveness of exercise interventions on fall prevention in ambulatory community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1209319
Soós, R., Bakó, C., Gyebrovszki, Á., Gordos, M., Csala, D., Ádám, Z., & Wilhelm, M. (2024). Nutritional Habits of Hungarian Older Adults. Nutrients, 16(8), 1203. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16081203
Tanaka, T., Akishita, M., Kojima, T., Son, B.-K., & Iijima, K. (2023). Polypharmacy with potentially inappropriate medications as a risk factor of new onset sarcopenia among community-dwelling Japanese older adults: A 9-year Kashiwa cohort study. BMC Geriatrics, 23(1), 390. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04012-y
Tang, T.-C., Hwang, A.-C., Liu, L.-K., Lee, W.-J., Chen, L.-Y., Wu, Y.-H., Huang, C.-Y., Hung, C.-H., Wang, C.-J., Lin, M.-H., Peng, L.-N., & Chen, L.-K. (2018). FNIH-defined Sarcopenia Predicts Adverse Outcomes Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Taiwan: Results From I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 73(6), 828–834. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx148
Tournadre, A., Vial, G., Capel, F., Soubrier, M., & Boirie, Y. (2019). Sarcopenia. Joint Bone Spine, 86(3), 309–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbspin.2018.08.001
Trinh, O. T. H., Nguyen, N. D., Dibley, M. J., Phongsavan, P., & Bauman, A. E. (2008). The prevalence and correlates of physical inactivity among adults in Ho Chi Minh City. BMC Public Health, 8, 204. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-204
Tzeng, P.-L., Lin, C.-Y., Lai, T.-F., Huang, W.-C., Pien, E., Hsueh, M.-C., Lin, K.-P., Park, J.-H., & Liao, Y. (2020). Daily lifestyle behaviors and risks of sarcopenia among older adults. Archives of Public Health, 78(1), 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-020-00498-9
Vanitcharoenkul, E., Unnanuntana, A., Chotiyarnwong, P., Laohaprasitiporn, P., Adulkasem, N., Asavamongkolkul, A., & Chandhanayingyong, C. (2024). Sarcopenia in Thai community-dwelling older adults: A national, cross-sectional, epidemiological study of prevalence and risk factors. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 311. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17804-7
Xia, W., Luo, K., Gu, Z., Hu, J., Liu, X., & Xiao, Q. (2024). Correlational analysis of sarcopenia and multimorbidity among older inpatients. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25, 309. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-07412-2
Yuan, S., & Larsson, S. C. (2023). Epidemiology of sarcopenia: Prevalence, risk factors, and consequences. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 144, 155533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155533
Zhang, X., Zhang, W., Wang, C., Tao, W., Dou, Q., & Yang, Y. (2018). Sarcopenia as a predictor of hospitalization among older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 18(1), 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-0878-0
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Wesam Al Debes, Munseef Sadaqa, Sami Elmahgoub, Aseel Aburub, Pongrác Ács, Marta Hock, Viktória Prémusz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
