title: Factors associated with skeletal muscle mass, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity in older adults: a multi-continent study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with low skeletal muscle mass (SMM), sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity using nationally representative samples of people aged ≥65 years from diverse geographical regions of the world.
  
  
  
  Data were available for 18 363 people aged ≥65 years who participated in the Collaborative Research on Ageing in Europe survey conducted in Finland, Poland, and Spain, and the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health survey conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa, between 2007 and 2012. A skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was created to reflect SMM. SMM, SMI, and percent body fat (%BF) were calculated with specific indirect population formulas. These estimates were based on age, sex, weight, height, and race. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were defined with specific cut-offs.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 12.6% (Poland) to 17.5% (India), and that of sarcopenic obesity ranged from 1.3% (India) to 11.0% (Spain). Higher %BF was associated with lower SMM in all countries, and with sarcopenia in five countries (p < 0.001). Compared to high levels of physical activity, low levels were related with higher odds for sarcopenia [OR 1.36 (95%CI 1.11-1.67)] and sarcopenic obesity [OR 1.80 (95%CI 1.23-2.64)] in the overall sample. Also, a dose-dependent association between higher numbers of chronic diseases and sarcopenic obesity was observed.
  
  
  
  Physical activity and body composition changes such as high %BF are key factors for the prevention of sarcopenia syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Universitat de Barcelona. Fundació Sant Joan de Déu Dr Antoni Pujades, 42 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat BarcelonaSpain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyrovolas
authors.affiliation: Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Universitat de Barcelona. Fundació Sant Joan de Déu Dr Antoni Pujades, 42 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat BarcelonaSpain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.affiliation: Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Universitat de Barcelona. Fundació Sant Joan de Déu Dr Antoni Pujades, 42 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat BarcelonaSpain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olaya
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain; Department of Psychiatry Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IP), Hospital Universitario la Princesa Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ayuso-Mateos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain; Department of Psychiatry Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IP), Hospital Universitario la Princesa Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miret
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland.
authors.forename: Somnath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterji
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sociology Jagiellonian University Medical College Krakow Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tobiasz-Adamczyk
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare Helsinki Finland.
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koskinen
authors.affiliation: Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit Neurological Institute 'Carlo Besta' Foundation IRCCS (Istituto di ricovero e cura a carattere scientifico) Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.affiliation: Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Universitat de Barcelona. Fundació Sant Joan de Déu Dr Antoni Pujades, 42 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat BarcelonaSpain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11 28029 Madrid Spain.
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Haro
keywords: Older adults; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenic obesity; Skeletal muscle mass