Background: The rapid increase in the elderly population in Korea is associated with an expanded burden of health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frailty and physical disability among Koreans using the frailty index, which was developed to assess health conditions in elderly people. Methods: We included 503 elderly people from the Namgaram-II cohort. We used the Korean version of the Kaigo-Yobo checklist as our frailty assessment tool. For the disability assessment tool, we used the Korean version of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-12). We fit multiple linear regression models for men and women for each section. Our models also included variables for musculoskeletal diseases that are known to be associated with frailty, such as sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and radiologic knee osteoarthritis. Results: After correcting for social demographic characteristics, blood profiles, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the Kaigo-Yobo results showed a significant difference in frailty between men (1.53 ± 0.74) and women (2.60 ± 0.77), and WHODAS-12 also showed a significant difference between men (6.59 ± 5.08) and women (15.99 ± 5.70). After correcting for social demographic characteristics, blood profiles, high blood pressure, and diabetes, Kaigo-Yobo and WHODAS-12 were significantly associated with each other among both men (β = 2.667) and women (β = 3.200) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The study results show an association between frailty and disability among elderly people in rural areas. Therefore, prevention should occur at the pre-frailty stage of a person’s life to prevent further disability. Also, disability welfare programs should be provided to elderly people who present with frailty.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between muscle strength and knee symptoms (pain, stiffness, and functional limitation) regardless of the presence of radiologic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA) in community-dwelling elderly. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Namgaram-2 cohort. The Namgaram-2 cohort consisted of participants living in three rural communities. Such participants were included for studies on activity limitation due to age-related musculoskeletal disorders including knee osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), a health assessment tool for patients with arthritis in lower extremities, was used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Muscle strengths were measured by knee strength (by using the isokinetic dynamometer) and hand grip strength. Results: The WOMAC pain of Kallgren–Lawrence (K/L) grade < 2 was correlated with age, grip strength, nutrition status, and knee extension 180 peak torque. The WOMAC pain of K/L grade ≥ 2 was correlated with age, nutrition status, and knee extension 60 peak torque. The WOMAC stiffness of K/L grade < 2 was correlated with having a spouse, nutrition status, and knee extension 60 peak torque. The WOMAC stiffness of K/L grade ≥ 2 was correlated with knee extension 60 peak torque. The WOMAC function of K/L grade < 2 was correlated with age, grip strength, osteoporosis, nutrition status, and knee extension 180 peak torque. The WOMAC function of K/L grade ≥ 2 was correlated with age, nutrition status, and knee extension 60 peak torque. Conclusion: Muscle strength as measured by grip strength and knee extension was statistically significantly correlated with the WOMAC scores in patients with knee symptoms regardless of whether radiologic signs of knee osteoarthritis were observed.
Background
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of osteosarcopenia in the over 60-year-old community and to evaluate whether osteosarcopenia is associated with disability, frailty and depression.
Methods
This study was performed using the baseline data of Namgaram-2, among the 1010 surveyed subjects, 885 study subjects who were 60 years or older and had all necessary tests performed were selected. The Kaigo-Yobo checklist (frailty), World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) and Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form-Korean (GDSSF-K) were used. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS 2019) were applied in this study. Osteopenia was measured using data from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and osteopenia was diagnosed when the T-score was less than − 1.0.
The study subjects were divided into four groups: the normal group, in which both sarcopenia and osteopenia were undiagnosed, osteopenia only, sarcopenia only and the osteosarcopenia group, which was diagnosed with both sarcopenia and osteopenia.
Results
Of the 885 subjects over 60 years old evaluated, the normal group comprised 34.0%, the only osteopenia group 33.7%, the only sarcopenia group 13.1%, and the osteosarcopenia group 19.2%. WHODAS (17.5, 95% CI: 14.8-20.1), Kaigo-Yobo (3.0, 95% CI: 2.6-3.4), and GDSSF mean score (4.6, 95% CI: 3.9-5.4) were statistically significantly higher in the osteosarcopenia group compared the other groups. Partial eta squared (ηp2) of WHODAS (0.199) and Kaigo-Yobo (0.148) values according to Osteosarcopenia were large, and GDSSF (0.096) was medium
Conclusions
Osteosarcopenia is a relatively common disease group in the older adults community that may cause deterioration of health outcomes. Therefore, when evaluating osteopenia or sarcopenia in the older adults, management of those in both disease groups should occur together.
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