# Discriminant analysis of ecological factors influencing sarcopenia in older people in South Korea

## TL;DR

This study explores how ecological factors affect sarcopenia discrimination in older South Koreans, identifying key influences beyond physical functioning.

## Contribution

The study introduces ecological system factors as significant contributors to sarcopenia discrimination, beyond traditional physical metrics.

## Key findings

- Significant differences in SARC-F score groups were found in attitudes, health management, social support, and environmental factors.
- Health management and attitudes toward life were top factors influencing group discrimination based on SARC-F scores.
- The SARC-F tool shows low sensitivity, suggesting the need to include ecological factors for better sarcopenia discrimination.

## Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the ecological system factors that influence discrimination of sarcopenia among older individuals living in contemporary society. Data analysis included information from 618 older adults individuals aged 65 years or older residing in South Korea. To assess variations in ecological system factors related to SARC-F scores, we conducted correlation analysis and t-tests. Discriminant analysis was used to identify factors contributing to group discrimination. The key findings are summarized as follows. First, significant differences at the p < 0.001 level were observed between the SARC-F score groups in various aspects, including attitudes toward life, wisdom in life, health management, social support, media availability, sports environment, collectivist values, and values associated with death. Further, service environment differences were significant at p < 0.01 level, while social belonging and social activities exhibited significance at p < 0.05. Second, factors influencing group discrimination based on the SARC-F scores were ranked in the following order: health management, attitudes toward life, fear of own death, wisdom in life, physical environment, sports environment, media availability, social support, fear of the own dying, collectivist values, service environment, social activities, and social belonging. Notably, the SARC-F tool, which is used for sarcopenia discrimination, primarily concentrates on physical functioning and demonstrates relatively low sensitivity. Therefore, to enhance the precision of sarcopenia discrimination within a score-based group discrimination process, it is imperative to incorporate ecological system factors that exert a significant influence. These modifications aimed to enhance the clarity and precision of the text in an academic context.