Applicability of the SARC-F questionnaire by remote interview

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of the strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls (SARC-F) questionnaire by telephone to identify sarcopenia risk (SR; SARC-F >= 6) and low muscle function risk (LMFR; SARC-F >= 4) and their associated risk factors in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults in southern Brazil.Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out with community-dwelling older individuals from COMO VAI? study. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related information were collected at baseline, and, in the second assessment, the SARC-F questionnaire was applied by phone or in-person interviews. Older adults identified with sarcopenia at the baseline assessment were excluded. Adjusted analysis by Poisson regression according to hierarchical levels was performed.Results: Of the 1451 participants interviewed at baseline, only 951 participated in the second assessment. During the second assessment, 732 adults (77%) were interviewed by phone and 219 (23%) in person. There was no statistically significant difference for the SR (9.1 versus 9.7%, P = 0.802) and LMFR (22.4 versus 20.0%, P = 0.435) prevalence when the SARC-F questionnaire was administered in person or by phone, respectively. Age >= 80 y, presence of depressive symptoms, multimorbidity, dependence to perform one or more daily activities, and polypharmacy were factors associated with a higher risk for poor outcomes in older adults interviewed by phone.Conclusions: The similar prevalence between in-person and remote assessments suggests the feasibility of using the SARC-F questionnaire by phone interview as a reliable alternative for sarcopenia and low muscle function risk assessment without the requirement of face-to-face evaluations.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of the SARC-F questionnaire by telephone to identify sarcopenia risk and low muscle function risk in older adults. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the prevalence of sarcopenia risk and low muscle function risk between phone and in-person assessments. This suggests that phone interviews can be a reliable alternative for assessing these risks.