Abstract
Malnutrition and specific food groups may cause sarcopenia in elderly persons. This study examined this possible link. Cross-sectional analysis of an ongoing cohort study was performed in this study. Data from 1344 elderly people was collected from September 2018 to April 2019. Gait speed, handgrip strength, and muscle mass determined sarcopenia and likely sarcopenia. A Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire was used to assess malnutrition. In the crude models, consumption of animal protein sources (OR = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.37 to 0.96) as well as fruits and vegetables (OR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.32 to 0.85) had a significant preventive effect on sarcopenia. Milk and dairy products also reduced the risk of sarcopenia by 37% (OR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.41 to 0.98). After correcting for confounders, most relationships disappeared and no dietary group predicted sarcopenia. Malnutrition was a risk factor for sarcopenia in the crude model (OR = 2.82, 95%CI = 1.93 to 4.12) and after age and sex adjustment (aOR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.33 to 3.15). Besides, malnutrition was a risk factor for probable sarcopenia in the fully adjusted model for all confounding factors (aOR = 1.36, 95%CI = 1.03 to 1.81). Malnutrition may enhance geriatric sarcopenia risk. Consuming animal protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products protected against sarcopenia slightly. Long-term studies are needed to confirm these findings.