Table 2.
Knowledge about sarcopenia, its diagnostic strategy and treatment among health‐care professionals before, directly after and 6 months after attendance
| Before | Directly after | 6 mo after | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (n = 250) | Completed FUa (n = 84) | Total (n = 250) | Completed FUa (n = 84) | Completed FUa (n = 84) | |
| Knowledge about the concept | |||||
| Sarcopenia is recognised as a… | |||||
| Disease | 34 (14.7) | 12 (15.6) | 228 (93.4) | 80 (95.2) | 50 (59.5) |
| Syndrome | 33 (14.2) | 12 (15.6) | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 13 (15.5) |
| Condition | 138 (59.5) | 45 (58.4) | 15 (6.1) | 4 (4.8) | 21 (25.0) |
| Don't know | 27 (11.6) | 8 (10.4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarcopenia cannot be prevented. | |||||
| Agree | 41 (17.2) | 12 (14.8) | 36 (15.1) | 13 (15.7) | 12 (14.3) |
| Disagree | 176 (73.6) | 60 (71.4) | 202 (84.5) | 70 (84.3) | 70 (83.3) |
| Don't know | 22 (9.2) | 9 (11.1) | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 2 (2.4) |
| Overweight or obese individuals have a lower risk of sarcopenia compared to individuals with normal weight. | |||||
| Agree | 21 (8.9) | 5 (6.3) | 5 (2.1) | 1 (1.2) | 7 (8.3) |
| Disagree | 173 (73.3) | 58 (73.4) | 222 (92.1) | 81 (96.4) | 74 (88.1) |
| Don't know | 42 (17.8) | 16 (20.3) | 14 (5.8) | 2 (2.4) | 3 (3.6) |
| Diagnostic strategy | |||||
| Which criteria should be used to diagnose sarcopenia? | |||||
| Clinical impression | 112 (47.3) | 32 (40.0) | 22 (8.9) | 6 (7.1) | 24 (28.6) |
| Muscle mass | 213 (89.9) | 70 (87.5) | 231 (93.9) | 80 (95.2) | 66 (78.6) |
| Muscle strength | 193 (81.4) | 67 (83.8) | 241 (96.4) | 82 (97.6) | 77 (91.7) |
| Physical performance | 142 (59.9) | 60 (75.0) | 218 (88.6) | 75 (89.3) | 75 (89.3) |
| Nutritional status | 147 (62.0) | 44 (55.0) | 77 (31.3) | 20 (23.8) | 28 (33.3) |
| Body mass index | 77 (32.5) | 23 (28.7) | 13 (5.3) | 4 (4.8) | 14 (16.7) |
| Frailty index | 149 (62.9) | 46 (57.5) | 34 (13.8) | 13 (15.5) | 30 (35.7) |
| Others | 8 (3.4) | 3 (3.8) | 15 (6.1) | 5 (6.0) | 1 (1.2) |
| At what age do muscle mass and muscle strength start to decline? y, median [IQR] | 50 [35‐60] | 50 [30‐60] | 25 [25‐30] | 25 [25‐30] | 30 [26‐35] |
| What is the cut‐off for low handgrip strength? | |||||
| For men, kg, median [IQR] | 20 [10‐30] | 20 [8‐30] | 30 [30‐30] | 30 [30‐30] | 30 [27‐30] |
| Correct answer | 11 (4.4) | 3 (3.6) | 206 (82.4) | 71 (88.8) | 33 (39.2) |
| For women, kg, median [IQR] | 14 [6‐25] | 12 [6‐23] | 20 [20‐20] | 20 [20‐20] | 20 [20‐20] |
| Correct answer | 6 (2.4) | 1 (1.2) | 202 (80.8) | 69 (86.3) | 33 (39.2) |
| Both answers correct | 5 (2.0) | 1 (1.2) | 199 (79.6) | 69 (82.1) | 32 (38.1) |
| Treatment of sarcopenia | |||||
| Sarcopenia should be treated with… | |||||
| Physical exercise | 225 (94.9) | 76 (93.8) | 244 (99.6) | 84 (100) | 84 (100) |
| Aerobic exercise | 69 (31.5) | 23 (31.1) | 88 (35.2) | 27 (32.1) | 19 (22.6) |
| Resistance exercise | 194 (88.6) | 68 (91.9) | 240 (99.6) | 84 (100) | 83 (98.8) |
| Balance exercise | 106 (48.4) | 36 (48.6) | 116 (48.1) | 38 (45.2) | 39 (46.4) |
| Nutritional intervention | 228 (95.8) | 77 (95.1) | 239 (97.6) | 82 (97.6) | 82 (97.6) |
| Protein | 209 (95.4) | 72 (97.3) | 235 (97.5) | 82 (97.6) | 82 (97.6) |
| Vitamin D | 123 (56.2) | 49 (66.2) | 219 (90.9) | 75 (89.3) | 62 (73.8) |
| Calcium | 93 (42.5) | 34 (45.9) | 199 (82.6) | 70 (83.3) | 52 (61.9) |
| Pharmacological intervention | 51 (21.4) | 18 (22.2) | 28 (11.4) | 11 (13.1) | 1 (1.2) |
| Don't know | 8 (3.4) | 2 (2.5) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Variables are presented as n (%) unless indicated otherwise.
Abbreviations: FU, follow‐up; IQR, interquartile range; y, years; mo, months.
a
Among health‐care professionals who completed the follow‐up questionnaires 6 mo after attendance.