Validating the SARC-F: A Suitable Community Screening Tool for Sarcopenia?
Abstract
Objectives Using data from the Hong Kong Mr and Ms Os study, we validated the SARC-F against 3 consensus definitions of sarcopenia from Europe, Asia, and an international group, and compared the ability of all 4 measures to predict 4-year physical limitation, walking speed, and repeated chair stands.Design Prospective cohort study.Setting Hong Kong community.Participants Four thousand men and women living in the community.Measurements A questionnaire regarding ability to carry a heavy load, walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls frequency was administered. These questions were used to calculate the SARC-F score. Measurements, including appendicular muscle mass, were taken using dual-energy X-ray, grip strength using a dynamometer, 6-m gait speed, and time taken for repeated chair stand. Classification using the SARC-F score was compared using consensus panel criteria from international, European, and Asian sarcopenia working groups. The performance of all 4 methods was compared by examining the predictive ability for 4-year outcomes using ROC curve.Results The SARC-F has excellent specificity but poor sensitivity for sarcopenia classification; however, all 4 methods have comparable but modest predictive power for 4-year physical limitation.Conclusion The SARC-F may be considered a suitable tool for community screening for sarcopenia.
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SARC-F includes five components: strength, assistance walking, rise from a chair, climbing stairs and history of falls, and can be used in the screening phase for older adults, since it has not been currently validated in younger age categories.
“For example, the SARC-F [31,32] includes fi ve components: strength, assistance walking, rise from a chair, climbing stairs and history of falls, and can be used in the screening phase for older adults, since it has not been currently validated in younger age categories.”
From Definition and diagnostic criteria for sarcopenic obesity: ESPEN and EASO consensus statement (2022) · cites this paper as [32]
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- Authors
- Woo, J., Leung, J., & Morley, J. E.
- Affiliations
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Saint Louis University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Woo, Jean
- Venue
- Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-09
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 630-634
- ISSN
- 1525-8610 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2022173684
- Cited by
- 422
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 9
- FWCI
- 19.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Keywords
- SARC-F, sarcopenia, screening tool validation, community-based screening, physical limitations, walking speed, chair stand, grip strength, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Hong Kong, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Geriatric Assessment, Risk Assessment, Sarcopenia
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