Prevalence and Determinants of Sarcopenic Obesity in Older Adults: Secondary Data Analysis of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 Survey (2017–18)

IntroductionSarcopenic obesity (SO) represents the confluence of two epidemics—an aging population and an increasing rate of obesity. The two diseases may act synergistically, and SO may significantly affect morbidity and mortality. However, the burden is not defined to drive the policy changes. Hence the present study was done to estimate the prevalence and predictors of SO in India.MethodsWe did a secondary data analysis of the 72,250 older adults who participated in the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017–18). Possible sarcopenia was defined as per the guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. The modified criterion of overweight and obesity for Asian adults was used to categorize obesity. Presence of both sarcopenia and obesity depicted SO. Weighted analysis was done to estimate the prevalence of SO, and multinomial bivariate logistics regression was used to identify the predictors of SO.ResultsThe overall prevalence of obesity, sarcopenia, and SO was 27.1%, 41.9%, and 8.7%, respectively. The mean age, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure of adults with SO were significantly higher compared to others. Higher age, urban residence, west and south regions of India, consumption of tobacco or alcohol, no physical activity, and presence of diabetes contribute to SO.ConclusionThe burden of SO seems to be less but amounts to a massive number in an aging country. We stress increased screening of the geriatric age group and advocate increased physical activity and dietary modifications to realize the concept of healthy aging.