Assessing the risk of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults in Israel: a national cross-sectional survey.

PURPOSE

With aging population and the growing burden of sarcopenia on health systems, early risk assessment is essential. This study assessed the risk of sarcopenia and associated factors among community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from the Israel National Elderly Falls Survey (2018-2019) among adults aged 65+ by the Israel Center for Disease Control. Data were collected via telephone interviews on demographic, health, and functional characteristics. Sarcopenia risk was assessed using the validated five-item Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA-5) questionnaire, with a cutoff score of ≤ 45 indicating risk. Multivariable logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sarcopenia risk.

RESULTS

A total of 2668 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 73.2 ± 5.7 years, and 56.3% were female. Based on the MSRA-5 cutoff score (≤ 45), 65.1% (n = 1738) were classified as at risk for sarcopenia. Older age (OR = 1.21 per 5-year increase, 95% CI 1.10-1.33), Arab ethnicity (OR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.59-2.64), lower education level (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.29-1.92), and anxiety/depression (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.32-2.54) were associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia risk. Functional limitations, including difficulty performing household activities (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.42-2.69) and physical inactivity (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.40-2.11), were also associated with sarcopenia risk. A dose-response relationship was observed with medication use, with progressively higher odds of sarcopenia risk among those taking > 8 medications per day (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.52-4.98).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the high prevalence of sarcopenia risk among older adults in Israel and emphasize the importance of early screening to identify at-risk individuals.