Abstract / Summary
Sarcopenia is a common health problem among older individuals, characterized by a progressive and generalized skeletal disorder that leads to a consistent decline in muscle strength and functional capacity. It increases the likelihood of adverse health outcomes, including falls, fractures, disability, and poor quality of life, and contributes to morbidity. Despite the burden of sarcopenia and studies conducted in various countries, there is a lack of studies in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated factors among older adults living in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia, in 2024. A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from July 3 to August 7, 2024. A multistage sampling technique was employed to recruit 636 study participants aged 60 and above. The data was collected using a structured interview questionnaire adopted from different literature and the SARC-F scale was used to assess sarcopenia. The data was collected through the Kobo Toolbox using face-to-face interviews and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Multicollinearity was checked by the variance inflation factor (VIF), and it was < 10 for all variables, and model fitness was checked by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test ( p = 0.18). Variables having a p < 0.25 at bivariable logistic regression analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. For statistical analysis, the binary logistic regression model was employed. Among the 605 participants enrolled, the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 29.9% (95% CI: 26.3–33.7). Age 70 years and older [AOR = 2.02, CI (1.17–3.49)], monthly income ≤ 1500 ETB [AOR = 4.11, CI (2.45–6.91)], depression [AOR = 2.93, (CI 1.85–4.64)], comorbidities [AOR = 4.68, CI (2.80–7.82), undernutrition [AOR = 2.43, (CI 1.56–3.79)] and physical inactivity [AOR = 2.35, (CI 1.13–4.87)] were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is an important public health concern among older adults in Bahir Dar City. Integrating sarcopenia screening into primary healthcare and community-based services, alongside nutritional support, physical activity promotion, and chronic disease management, may help reduce its impact on functional independence. Sarcopenia prevention should be considered in healthy-ageing strategies in Ethiopia. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to evaluate contextually appropriate screening and prevention approaches.