Prevalence estimates of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults in Northern Nigeria according to revised European and Asian reference criteria

Abstract

IntroductionThe study aim was to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in community-dwelling Nigerian older adults using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) and the revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) references.MethodsA total of 767 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years were recruited for the study. Sarcopenia was defined in accordance with the AWGS and EWGSOP2 references.ResultsAs for the AWGS reference, 24.4% (95% CI: 21.4–27.6) of older adults had sarcopenia and the prevalence was significantly similar between men and women (<i>p</i> = 0.18); whereas with the EWGSOP2 reference, 36.2% were classified as having sarcopenia and the prevalence was significantly higher in men (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The agreement between the AWGS and EWGSOP2 criteria in estimating the prevalence of sarcopenia was moderate (<i>κ</i> = 0.591), with EWGSOP2 showing higher sensitivity (0.882). In accordance with the 2 references, the multivariable logistic regression showed that age was consistently associated with increased odds of sarcopenia, whereas female gender, muscle strength, and physical performance were significantly associated with decreased odds of sarcopenia in older adults (<i>p</i> < 0.001).ConclusionsThe EWGSOP2 reference, compared with the AWGS reference, is more likely to identify older individuals with sarcopenia. Both references showed that muscle strength and physical performance were associated with a decreased risk of sarcopenia. Clinicians may use the EWGSOP2 reference criteria for early diagnosis and management of sarcopenia in older adults.