Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To validate the Thai Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs and Falls (SARC-F), and 2 Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA-5, and MSRA-7) questionnaires for sarcopenia screening in older patients in the medical outpatient setting, and to assess the improvements of the diagnostic accuracy by adapting the parameters in the SARC-F, MSRA-7, and MSRA-5 questionnaires. Risk factors for sarcopenia are also investigated. METHODS: Thai SARC-F, MSRA-7, and MSRA-5 questionnaires were translated backwards and forwards. Content validity and test-retest reliability were analyzed. Reliability analysis was used for SARC-F, MSRA-7, and MSRA-5 scores to increase the sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.7% (65 of 286 patients). The sensitivity of the SARC-F, MSRA-7, and MSRA-5 questionnaires was 21.5%, 72.3%, and 61.5%, respectively. The specificity was 93.7%, 43%, and 67.4%, respectively. The AUCs were 0.58, 0.58, and 0.65, respectively. After weighting and adjusting the scores for the least responded-to items of the MSRA-5, the sensitivity increased to 82.6%, specificity to 43.4%, and AUC to 0.65. Multivariate analysis showed that the associated factors of sarcopenia were age [odds ratio (OR) = 5.92], body mass index < 18.5 [OR = 9.59], and currently working [OR = 0.11]. CONCLUSIONS: The modified MSRA-5 improved the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for screening for sarcopenia. It is potentially useful for screening for sarcopenia in settings with limited resources for bioelectrical impedance analysis, time, or health personnel.