Older adults living in rural areas have worse muscle function

Compared to their urban counterparts, older adults residing in rural areas have weaker muscle function, reports a recent study. Muscle mass or sarcopaenia does not seem to be influenced by area of residence.

The study included 2,354 older adults (aged ≥69 years) who were enrolled across one rural and three urban districts across South Korea. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to measure muscle mass, while handgrip strength and Five Times Sit-to-Stand tests were used to assess muscle function.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that rural participants were nearly 70 percent more likely to have low muscle function than urban comparators (odds ratio [OR], 1.63, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.13–2.37; p=0.009), though no such effect was reported for muscle mass (OR, 0.58, 95 percent CI, 0.22–1.54; p=0.271).

Sarcopaenia was likewise unrelated to rural residence (OR, 1.13, 95 percent CI, 0.63–2.00; p=0.683).

Increasing age (OR, 1.10, 95 percent CI, 1.07–1.13; p<0.001) and a history of diabetes (OR, 1.45, 95 percent CI, 1.12–1.86; p=0.004) or arthritis (OR, 1.54, 95 percent CI, 1.20–1.96; p=0.001) were also independent risk factors for low muscle function.

In contrast, finishing at least high school-level education (OR, 0.63, 95 percent CI, 0.49–0.81; p<0.001) and regularly engaging in exercise (OR, 0.74, 95 percent CI, 0.59–0.92; p=0.007) were significant protective factors against poor muscle function.

“Additional screening tests and interventions in the rural population are needed for the elderly in rural districts [who] are more vulnerable to low muscle function,” the researchers said.