Association between Internet Use and Locomotive Syndrome, Frailty, and Sarcopenia among Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Adults

Abstract

In the lives of those who are the target of community health nursing, it is important to collaborate with individuals and communities to improve their quality of life. Herein, we aimed to determine the association between Internet use among older individuals and locomotive syndrome (LS), frailty, and sarcopenia. In this cross-sectional study conducted between July 2022 and March 2023, we recruited 105 community-dwelling older Japanese adults who participated in a care prevention project called “Kayoi-no-ba”. All participants were divided into Internet and non-Internet user groups according to the classification of a previous study. We assessed LS (standing test, two-step test, and five-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale), frailty (through the Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old), and sarcopenia (grip strength, normal walking speed, and skeletal muscle mass index) and made group comparisons between Internet users and non-users. Binomial logistic regression analyses were performed with Internet use as the independent variable and sarcopenia or LS as the dependent variables. The Internet and non-Internet user groups had 69 and 36 participants, respectively. The Internet user group comprised 65.7% of all participants, which was similar to that reported in a previous study of the same age group. Between-group comparisons showed significant differences in sarcopenia and LS items, whereas adjusted binomial logistic analysis showed a significant association between sarcopenia and Internet use. In summary, among LS, frailty, and sarcopenia, sarcopenia showed the highest association with Internet use. Older adults without sarcopenia having good physical functions, such as grip strength, walking speed, and skeletal muscle index, more likely used the Internet; while older adults with sarcopenia were less likely to use the Internet. This implied that Internet use may be associated with physical function.