ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SARCOPENIC OBESITY AND URINARY
INCONTINENCE IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS BRAZILIAN
WOMEN
Obesity; Sarcopenia; Urinary Incontinence; Women; Middle Aged; Aged.
Introduction: Obesity, sarcopenia and urinary incontinence (UI) are considered geriatric syndromes. Sarcopenia and obesity are predisposing factors to the occurrence of UI in women during the aging process. Sarcopenic obesity (SO), characterized by the simultaneous presence of obesity and sarcopenia, can contribute to negative outcomes and poorer quality of life for the population. There is a need to expand knowledge about SO associated with UI. Objectives: To observe the association between OS and UI in middle-aged and older adults brazilians living in the northeast region of Brazil. Methods: In a cross-sectional, analytical study, 531 women living in Santa Cruz and Parnamirim, RN, aged between 40 and 80 years, were assessed for the presence of UI by self-reporting the loss of UI in the last 12 months. Waist circumference above 88cm was considered to classify obesity, while skeletal muscle mass, assessed by electrical bioimpedance, below 5.93 kg/m², classified the presence of sarcopenia. Based on these measurements, the participants were classified into four profiles in terms of OS: normal, sarcopenia, obesity and sarcopenic obesity. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the association between OS and UI adjusted for the covariates age, schooling, income, stable union, hypertension, diabetes, parity and menopausal status, considering p<0.05. Results: 10.7% had no sarcopenia or obesity, 10.7% had only sarcopenia, 69.7% had only obesity and 8.9% had OS. Obesity alone was associated with a higher chance of UI compared to the group without both conditions (OR=1.95; p=0.025). The association between UI and sarcopenia alone or with OS was not significant. Conclusion: Obesity was more strongly associated with UI than sarcopenia. This highlights the need to alert the female population who are at risk of developing these conditions.