Food insecurity and sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults from southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between food insecurity and sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults in Pelotas, Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 607 individuals from the "Como Vai?" cohort, a population-based study of older adults, with data from the 2024 wave. Sarcopenia was defined according to the EWGSOP2 consensus, incorporating measures of muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance. Food insecurity was assessed using the 5-item version of the Brazilian Household Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). Poisson regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) for the association between food insecurity and sarcopenia.

RESULTS

The prevalence of food insecurity was 17.2%. Sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were observed in 11.7% and 9.1% of participants, respectively. No significant association was found between food insecurity and either sarcopenia or severe sarcopenia. However, when EBIA scores were analyzed categorically, individuals with higher scores (3-5 points) showed a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (PR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.02-4.95) and severe sarcopenia (PR = 3.23; 95% CI: 1.31-7.93), independently of potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated scores on the food insecurity scale were associated with increased prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, suggesting that the severity of food deprivation may adversely affect muscle health in older adults.