Prevalence and risk factors of malnutrition among older adults with sarcopenia: a protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia and malnutrition are closely interrelated geriatric syndromes that significantly contribute to frailty, functional decline, and increased mortality in older adults. Although a growing body of evidence suggests a strong association between these conditions, reported prevalence rates and associated risk factors remain highly variable across studies.

While previous systematic reviews have explored aspects of sarcopenia and malnutrition, they have often been limited to specific populations, focused on either condition separately, or have not provided a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of malnutrition among older adults with sarcopenia. Therefore, this study is to systematically estimate the pooled prevalence of malnutrition and identify its associated risk factors specifically among older adults with sarcopenia.

METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

A comprehensive literature search will be performed in six electronic databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies will be included if they assess malnutrition using validated tools in adults aged 60 years or older with sarcopenia.

No restrictions will be applied regarding geographic region, language, or publication year. Eligible study designs include observational, longitudinal, and randomized controlled trials.

Data will be analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 4.0. A generalized linear mixed model will be employed, specifically meta-regression, to account for multiple levels of data.

A random-effects model will be used to pool effect sizes and estimate the overall prevalence of malnutrition and its associated risk factors among older adults with sarcopenia.

DISCUSSION

This review will offer a comprehensive synthesis of the prevalence and risk factors of malnutrition in sarcopenic older adults, addressing current gaps in the literature. The findings are expected to support evidence-informed practices and guide future research and clinical decision-making related to nutritional care and sarcopenia management in aging populations.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework (OSF): https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZQCVA.