The relationship between sarcopenia, undernutrition, physical mobility and basic activities of daily living in a group of elderly women of Mexico City

Background: Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome, which affects the functional status and mobility of individuals. Objective: To identify the prevalence of sarcopenia and undernutrition, and to assess the association between sarcopenia and mobility, and sarcopenia and basic activities of daily living (ADL) in a group of elderly women. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in patients attending a geriatric service at a government hospital in Mexico City. Sarcopenia was identified applying Baumgartner's equation by obtaining skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and undernutrition was diagnosed using mininutritional assessment instrument (MNA). The SENECA questionnaire and Katz index were used to evaluate mobility and ADL, respectively. Statistical analysis: lineal regression models were constructed fitting SMI as a dependent variable and SENECA, and ADL scores as independent variables, adjusted for age. Results: 90 women with a mean age of 78.2 (± 6.8) were studied. Undernutrition was identified in 15.5% of the patients. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 41.1%. Patients with sarcopenia presented a high prevalence of undernutrition (p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was associated with difficulty in climbing stairs (OR = 2.63, p = 0.03), adjusted for age. The mobility score was associated with sarcopenia, in the group without sarcopenia the mean score was 16.3, and with sarcopenia it was 18.3, (p = 0.04). Regarding ADL, 64.9% of the patients with intermediate independence and dependence had sarcopenia, while 35.1% with total independence presented sarcopenia (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The elder women with sarcopenia had a higher prevalence of undernutrition. Sarcopenia was associated with difficulties in mobility, particularly difficulties in climbing stairs.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Velázquez Alva,María del Consuelo, Irigoyen Camacho,María Esther, Delgadillo Velázquez,Jaime, Lazarevich,Irina
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Grupo Arán 2013
Online Access:	http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0212-16112013000200033
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!