Rural and Remote Health

www.rrh.org.au
James Cook University ISSN 1445-6354

Original Research

Sarcopenia and diabetes in Brazilian Amazon older adults

AUTHORS

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Amanda Alves1

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Letícia Spósito2

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Patrícia Batista3

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Tiago Assunção dos Santos Farias1 ORCID logo

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Hércules Lázaro LM Morais Campos1,4,5 Adjunct Professor ORCID logo

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Elisa Brosina De Leon1 Adjunct Professor * ORCID logo

AFFILIATIONS

1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências do Movimento Humano, Faculdade de Educação Física e Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

2 Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

3 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

4 Instituto de Saúde e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Coari, Amazonas, Brazil

5 Programa de Pós-Graduação Interdisciplinar em Estudos Rurais, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil

ACCEPTED: 7 November 2026


Early Abstract:

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia and identify associated factors among older people in the Brazilian Amazon with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 
Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Study of Amazonian Population in Primary Care (SAPPA), including 544 community-dwelling adults aged > 60 years with type 2 diabetes. Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria. Sociodemographic, clinical, functional, and behavioral variables were assessed using standardized instruments, including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Brazilian OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (BOMFAQ), and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed, with adjustment for sex, age, and education level (p < 0.05). 
Results: Sarcopenia prevalence was 10.29% (n=56). Older age (>80 years), lower education, greater difficulty in daily activities, use of up to two medications per day, and poorer functionality were significantly associated with sarcopenia. 
Conclusions: Sarcopenia was associated with functional impairment and sociodemographic vulnerability among older adults with type 2 diabetes living in the Brazilian Amazon. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating functional and social assessments into primary care strategies to promote healthy aging in this population. 
Keywords: Brazil, diabetes mellitus, healthy aging, older age, physical functional performance, population aging, sarcopenia.