Abstract
Background: Older adults in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often suffer from both sarcopenia and stress urinary incontinence (SUI), two conditions that can significantly impact their health. However, the relationship between these conditions has not been thoroughly explored. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from older adults aged 50 years or older from the first wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI). Participants with complete data on sarcopenia and SUI were included, excluding female participants who were still menstruating. Sarcopenia was defined as decreased grip strength and slow movement. SUI was assessed based on questionnaire responses about whether the participant had ever passed urine when sneezing, coughing, laughing, or lifting heavy objects. We analyzed the data using multiple logistic regression analysis, interaction tests, and stratified analysis. Results: Our results showed that sarcopenia was positively correlated with SUI in male participants after adjusting for adequate confounding factors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.20, 1.56], p < 0.001). This correlation remained stable after adjusting for additional confounding factors (OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.11, 1.45], p < 0.001). In female participants, a stable correlation between sarcopenia and SUI was also observed after adjusting for appropriate confounding factors (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.01, 1.23], p = 0.037). According to the results of interaction tests and stratified analysis, the positive correlation between sarcopenia and SUI is notably stronger among men who abstain from alcohol and women who haven't undergone hysterectomy. Conclusions: Sarcopenia and SUI were positively correlated in older Indian adults, regardless of gender. Drinking and a history of hysterectomy may be important influencing factors for both male and female older adults. Further large-scale clinical trials are necessary to confirm this association.