Indicators of sarcopenia and purpose in life levels in older adults: the influence of sociodemographic factors

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This study aimed to compare the indicators of sarcopenia and the level of purpose in life among older adults, considering sociodemographic factors. It is a quantitative, analytical, observational, and cross-sectional study conducted with 128 older adults (≥60 years old) of both sexes residing in Brazil's Midwest and South regions. The study employed a unique methodology, including a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Purpose in Life Scale, and the SARC-f, which were administered to the participants. Data collection took place online from January 2024 to April 2024. The study's data analysis included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, measures of skewness and kurtosis, bootstrapping procedures, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's post-hoc test, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The older adults showed a low risk of sarcopenia (1.23±1.97) and a moderate level of purpose in life (3.77± 0.63). Younger older adults (p = 0.005), those with completed higher education (p = 0.018), and those with higher income (p = 0.007) had a lower risk of sarcopenia. Younger older adults (p = 0.035) and those with higher incomes (p = 0.007) also had higher levels of purpose in life. Purpose in life showed a significant negative weak correlation with age (r = -0.24) and sarcopenia risk (r = -0.33) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, younger older adults and those with higher monthly incomes demonstrated a lower risk of sarcopenia and a higher level of purpose in life.