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Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Adults in Singapore: Yishun Health Study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

To determine the overlapping prevalence of malnutrition and sarcopenia and the association between parameters of malnutrition with muscle mass and strength in a community-dwelling Singaporean adult population.

Design

This was a cross-sectional study.

Setting

Large north-eastern residential town of Yishun in Singapore.

Participants

Random sampling of community-dwelling Singaporeans aged 21–90 years old (n=541).

Measurements

Anthropometry, body composition and handgrip strength (muscle strength) were measured. Sarcopenia was identified using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan (muscle mass). Nutritional status was measured using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). Other questionnaires collected included physical activity and cognition. Associations between nutritional status with sarcopenia as well as with muscle mass and strength were analysed using multinomial logistics and linear regressions.

Results

The overall population-adjusted prevalence of those at nutritional risk and malnourished were 18.5% and 0.1% respectively. More than a third of participants (35%) who were at nutritional risk were sarcopenic. Malnourished participants were all sarcopenic (100%, N=2) whereas those who were sarcopenic, 27.0% (N=37) were at nutritional risk/malnourished. Being at nutritional risk/malnourished was significantly associated with 2 to 3 times increased odds of sarcopenia in multivariate analyses adjusting for age, gender, physical activity level and cognition, and fat mass index. Favourable MNA parameter scores on food intake and BMI were positively associated with greater muscle mass and handgrip strength (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Given the overlapping clinical presentation of malnutrition and sarcopenia, community screening protocols should include combination screening of nutritional status and sarcopenia with appropriate interventions to mitigate risk of adverse health outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the strong support of Prof. Pang Weng Sun in making this Yishun Study possible, and the support of Dr Lilian Chye, Ngu Siew Ching, Aizuriah Mohamed Ali, Mary Ng Pei Ern, Chua Xing Ying and Shermaine Thein in this study.

Funding

Funding: This research was supported as part of a core funding from the Ministry of Health, Singapore to Geriatric Education and Research Institute (GERI), Singapore.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore, Singapore

    V. M. H. Tan & Shiou-Liang Wee

  2. Geriatric Education and Research Institute (GERI), 2 Yishun Central 2, Tower E Level 4 GERI Admin, Singapore, 768024, Singapore

    B. W. J. Pang, L. K. Lau, K. A. Jabbar, W. T. Seah, K. K. Chen, T. P. Ng & Shiou-Liang Wee

  3. Department of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    T. P. Ng

  4. Programme in Health Sciences and System Research, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Albuquerque, USA

    Shiou-Liang Wee

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  1. V. M. H. Tan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiou-Liang Wee.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by National Healthcare Group DSRB (2017/00212). All participants gave written informed consent.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary Table 1.

Average scores for MNA and its components.

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Tan, V.M.H., Pang, B.W.J., Lau, L.K. et al. Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Adults in Singapore: Yishun Health Study. J Nutr Health Aging 25, 374–381 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1542-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1542-x

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