Factors associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty syndrome in elderly university workers.

Background: Frailty and sarcopenia are highly prevalent, as a part of geriatric syndrome, among elderly individuals. However, little is known about how these syndromes can affect elderly individuals who continue to work.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty, and their individual and occupational factors among elderly individuals.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included elderly individuals working in a public university in Brazil, who were classified according to their sarcopenia and frailty profiles. They answered a structured questionnaire comprising potential explanatory variables: individual sociodemographic factors, work related factors, and health behaviors. Additionally, they performed a physical performance test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). All analyses were conducted using the Stata 13.0 software, considering a significance of 5%.

Results: Respectively, 55.8% and 6.3% of the elderly participants were classified in the Sarcopenia and Severe Sarcopenia groups. Frailty prevalence was 9.4%, with 62.5% classified as Pre-frail. Sarcopenia prevalence was significantly higher among men, and among those living with a partner, with a university degree, exhibiting poor lower limb function, and with multiple work demands. Frailty prevalence was significantly higher among women, and among those living without a partner, having a low educational level, with less work experience, working in an unhealthy/dangerous environment, and whose job was predominantly physical.

Conclusion: This study identified different potential trigger factors for the development of sarcopenia and frailty. These findings confirm that individual and work factors could explain the incidence of sarcopenia and frailty syndrome.