Association between depressive symptoms and sarcopenia in older Chinese community-dwelling individuals.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia and depressive symptoms and estimate the association between them in elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals.

Patients and methods: A total of 948 elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals were recruited through leaflets and posters from three communities in Chengdu, and 865 participants were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Muscle mass was measured using the bioimpedance analysis, handgrip strength was measured with a handheld dynamometer, and physical performance was assessed via usual gait speed on a 6 m course. Sarcopenia was defined according to the recommended diagnostic algorithm of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Chinese version of 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) with a score of ≥5 indicative of the presence of depressive symptoms.

Results: A total of 865 participants were included in the analysis. The participants had a mean age of 68.68±6.46 years. Sixty-one (7.1%) participants and 71 (8.2%) participants were identified as having sarcopenia and depressive symptoms, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and other potential confounders, sarcopenia was found to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, 95% CI 1.06-4.92).

Conclusion: The prevalence rates of sarcopenia and depressive symptoms were 7.1 and 8.2%, respectively, in elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals, and sarcopenia was significantly associated with depressive symptoms.