The Association Between Sedentary Behavior and Sarcopenia Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The present study aimed to assess the association between sedentary behavior and sarcopenia among adults aged ≥65 years. Cross-sectional data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass and either a slow gait speed or a weak handgrip strength. Self-reported sedentary behavior was assessed as a continuous variable (hours per day) and also as a categorical variable (0-<4, 4-<8, 8-<11, ≥11 hours/day). Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between sedentary behavior and sarcopenia. Analyses using the overall sample and country-wise samples were conducted. A total of 14,585 participants aged ≥65 years were included in the analysis. Their mean age was 72.6 (SD, 11.5) years and 55% were females. Compared to sedentary behavior of 0-<4 hours/day, ≥11hours/day was significantly associated with 2.14 (95%CI=1.06-4.33) times higher odds for sarcopenia. The country-wise analysis showed that overall, a one-hour increase in sedentary behavior per day was associated with a 1.06 (95%CI=1.04-1.10) times higher odds for sarcopenia, and the level of between-country heterogeneity was low (I2=12.9%). Public health and healthcare practitioners may wish to target reductions in sedentary behavior to aid in the prevention of sarcopenia in older adults.