ABSTRACT
AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with nutritional status and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in older women living in a nursing home. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed nutritional status using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People; hand grip strength and physical performance were determined by dynamometry and gait speed, respectively. Muscle mass was assessed using calf circumference. RESULTS: The mean age of the 114 participants was 84.1 ± 7.0 years. The prevalence of sarcopenia and T2DM was 30.7% and 10.5%, respectively. The majority (66.7%) had a normal nutritional status, 29.8% were at risk of malnutrition, and 3.5% were undernourished. The prevalence of sarcopenia in participants at risk of malnutrition and those who were undernourished was higher compared with participants with a normal NS (P < 0.0001). A statistically significant difference was observed in the Barthel Index (BI) between women with and without sarcopenia (P = 0.048). The multivariate logistic regression model, adjusted by age (p = 0.007) showed an association between sarcopenia and nutritional status. Women with a poor nutritional status were more likely to have sarcopenia (OR 4.97, P = 0.003) whilst those with T2DM showed a higher probability of sarcopenia (OR 5.52, P = 0.019) than women without T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia was highly prevalent in women with a poor nutritional status and T2DM. It is necessary to implement intervention programs to reduce adverse outcomes.
