Prevalence of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and high falls risk in healthy community-dwelling Thai older adults: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Abstract

Thailand has transitioned from an aging society to an aged society, which implies that the prevalence of age-related disorders will increase; however, epidemiological data specific to the prevalence of age-related degenerative musculoskeletal disorders among Thai older adults remain limited. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of age-related musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and high falls risk among healthy community-dwelling Thai older adults. This cross-sectional nationwide study enrolled Thai adults aged ≥60 years from 2 randomly selected provinces from each of the 6 regions of Thailand via stratified multistage sampling during March 2021 to August 2022. All enrolled participants were evaluated for bone mineral density, skeletal muscle mass, grip strength, and gait speed. Osteoporosis was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization definition, and sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Falls risk was determined using the self-rated Fall Risk Questionnaire (FRQ). A total of 2991 eligible participants were recruited. The mean age of participants was 69.2 ± 6.5 years (range: 60–107), and 63.1% were female. The prevalence of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and high falls risk was 29.7%, 18.1%, and 38.5%, respectively. Approximately one-fifth of subjects (19.1%) had at least 2 of 3 risk factors (i.e., osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and high falls risk) for sustaining a fragility fracture, and 3.4% had all three risk factors. In conclusion, the results of this study revealed a high and increasing prevalence of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and high falls risk in healthy community-dwelling Thai older adults. Since these conditions are all major risk factors for fragility fracture, modification of Thailand’s national healthcare policy is urgently needed to address the increasing prevalence of these conditions among healthy community-dwelling older adults living in Thailand.