Sex-Specific Sarcopenia Prevalence and Risk Factors in the Korean Population: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study

This study aimed to identify the incidence of sarcopenia and disease risk factors in Korean adults and to provide data for sarcopenia prevention. Based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2008-2011, we selected 14,185 adults over the age of 20 who participated in sarcopenia diagnostic tests and health surveys. We analyzed sarcopenia risk factors using complex sample multi-logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of sarcopenia in Korea was 31.3%, with 20.2% in men and 40.4% in women. In men, there was a higher risk of sarcopenia in those of older age, without a spouse, with a low body mass index (BMI), who never engage in resistance exercise, or who do mid-level intensity resistance exercises. In women, sarcopenia risk was higher in those in their 20s compared to those in their 60s, and risk factors included a low BMI, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and waist circumference measurements, alcohol consumption, aerobic exercise, and resistance exercise. Interventions and lifestyle improvements will help prevent the onset of sarcopenia in elderly men and young women with risk factors such as a low BMI.