The Association between Sedentary Time and Sarcopenia in Korean Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the 2022-2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data

Background: Sarcopenia refers to the age-related decline in muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance.Prolonged sedentary time is reportedly an independent risk factor for the development of sarcopenia.The present study aimed to analyze the association between increased sedentary time and sarcopenia risk in Korean older adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods:We utilized data from the 9th KNHANES (2022-2023) and 3,502 individuals aged 65 years were included in the analysis.The participants were categorized into long (sedentary time 7 h/day) and short (sedentary time <7 h/day) sedentary groups.Complex sample logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for sarcopenia in each group, stratified by sex.Additionally, we analyzed the ORs for sarcopenia associated with each 1-hour increase in sedentary time. Results:After adjusting for all confounding variables, male in the prolonged sedentary group had a significantly higher risk of developing sarcopenia than those in the short sedentary group.Additionally, among male, each 1-hour increase in sedentary time was associated with a 13.2% increase in the odds of developing sarcopenia (OR, 1.132; P=0.003). Conclusion:In male aged 65 years, a prolonged sedentary behavior was associated with a significantly higher risk of sarcopenia as compared with a shorter sedentary behavior.