Factors associated with sarcopenia among older patients attending a geriatric clinic in Nigeria

Abstract

Context: Aging is characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength called sarcopenia which causes poor health and  disability. There is paucity of data on this syndrome of public health importance among older Nigerians.

Aim: This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia among persons aged 60 years and above at a geriatric center in Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study of 642 persons aged ≥60 years who attended the geriatric center between March and July 2014. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using SPSS 20. Alpha was set at 0.05.

Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of the respondents was 69.1 ± 7.2 years, and 378 (60.6%) were females. The point prevalence of sarcopenia was 5.4% which was significantly higher among the females compared with the males (7.1% vs. 2.8%) P = 0.02. Low muscle mass and low gait speed were found in 10.9% and 36.1%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed age (odds ratio [OR] =1.090; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.034–1.149, P = 0.01), having no formal education (OR = 2.810; 95% CI = 1.043–7.573, P = 0.04), malnutrition (OR = 5.817; 95% CI = 1.471–23.434, P = 0.01), and female gender (OR = 3.068; 95% CI = 1.068–8.817, P = 0.04) to be the predictors of sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Older people in this setting are at risk of developing sarcopenia,  especially the females. Healthcare workers should address the social and health‑related factors which could lead to sarcopenia.

Keywords: Geriatric clinic, Nigeria, older patients, sarcopenia