Associations of Depressive Symptoms and Functional Dependence with Sarcopenia Risk in Turkish Older Adults
Özlem Yılmaz1, Hanife Usta Atmaca11Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Health Science University, İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye
Objectives: Depressive symptoms and functional dependence may exacerbate sarcopenia risk, yet data from Turkish populations remain limited. This study aims to examine the associations between depressive symptoms, functional independence, and sarcopenia risk among community-dwelling Turkish older adults. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 366 adults aged ?60 years. Sarcopenia risk was evaluated using the SARC-F questionnaire (?4 indicating probable risk). Functional independence and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Geriatric Depression Scale–Short Form (GDS-SF), respectively. Results: Participants had a mean age of 73.2±7.7 years; 71.7% were women. Those at risk of sarcopenia (SARC-F ?4) were significantly older (p<0.001), had lower IADL scores (p<0.001), and higher GDS-SF scores (p<0.001). After adjustment, age (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03–1.16), depressive symptoms (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.09–1.41), and lower functional independence (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.08–0.52) remained independently associated with sarcopenia risk. Conclusion: Sarcopenia risk in Turkish older adults is independently associated with advancing age, depressive symptoms, and lower functional independence. These findings underscore the multidimensional nature of sarcopenia and highlight the importance of incorporating psychosocial and functional evaluations into geriatric screening to enable early detection and targeted interventions. Keywords: Sarcopenia risk, Functional capacity, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), SARC-F questionnaire
Cite This Article
Yılmaz Ö, Atmaca H. Associations of Depressive Symptoms and Functional Dependence with Sarcopenia Risk in Turkish Older Adults. EJMI. 2026; 10(1): 98-105
Corresponding Author: Özlem Yılmaz