Abstract
Sarcopenia is associated with adverse health outcomes among older individuals. However, little is known about its association with neighborhood environmental factors. We explored the relationship between sarcopenia and perceived neighborhood environmental factors among community-dwelling older adults aged 70–84 years. We analyzed 1778 participants (mean age of 75.9 ± 3.8 years; 54.0% women) who lived in urban areas and underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 definition. Perceived neighborhood environmental factors were assessed using the Environmental Module of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-E). In the multivariate analysis, compared to the fifth quintile of the IPAQ-E score, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sarcopenia in the first, second, third, and fourth quintiles were 2.13 (1.40–3.24), 1.72 (1.12–2.64), 1.75 (1.15–2.66), and 1.62 (1.06–2.47), respectively. These neighborhood environmental characteristics were linked with an increased likelihood of sarcopenia: no public transportation access (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.19–3.48), poor recreational facilities access (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.01–1.90), absence of destination (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.06–2.20), many hill hazards (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.03–1.78), and lack of traffic safety (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.02–1.78). Thus, better neighborhood environmental strategies may help prevent sarcopenia among urban-dwelling older adults.
Highlights
Sarcopenia is related to adverse health outcomes such as falls, functional decline, frailty, and mortality [1], which cause personal, social, and economic burden among older adults [2,3]
We explored the relationship between sarcopenia and perceived neighborhood environmental factors among community-dwelling older adults aged 70–84 years
Our study found that poor access to public transport was the most significant neighborhood environmental factor contributing to sarcopenia (46.0% [45.2−46.8])
Summary
Sarcopenia is related to adverse health outcomes such as falls, functional decline, frailty, and mortality [1], which cause personal, social, and economic burden among older adults [2,3]. Risk factors for sarcopenia include physical inactivity, poor nutritional status, inflammation, oxidative stress, and chronic diseases [1,5]. Most of these risk factors can be prevented through lifestyle changes; environmental support is needed to maintain or achieve a healthy lifestyle [6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the role of the physical and social neighborhood environment for “healthy and active aging” in older adults in its guidelines of global age-friendly cities [7,8]. Many studies have previously reported that a poor neighborhood environment is associated with adverse health outcomes, including falls [9], Int. J.
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