Mapping Knowledge Landscapes and Emerging Trends of Sarcopenic Obesity in Older Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2004 to 2023

Abstract

Background The prevalence of obesity in combination with sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength or physical function, is on the rise among adults aged 65 years and older. A significant portion of this demographic now falls under the classification of sarcopenic obesity, a high-risk geriatric syndrome predominantly seen in an aging population vulnerable to compounded complications from both sarcopenia and obesity. It is essential to promptly evaluate the impact of academic research in this field, taking into account factors such as geographical regions, authors, journals, and institutions. Furthermore, exploring current topics and identifying potential areas that could inspire future researchers to conduct additional studies is crucial for advancing overall health in this population. Methodology A search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database to identify English language articles and reviews focusing on sarcopenic obesity in older adults, published between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2023. Bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer (v.1.6.18) and CiteSpace (v.6.1.R2). Results A total of 985 original English-language articles were collected, consisting of 783 articles and 202 reviews. The volume of research publications in this field has shown significant growth since 2012. The United States leads in contributions, with 239 articles (24.3% of the total) and the highest number of citations at 18,403, along with the highest total link strength. The University of Melbourne in Australia stands out with 25 published articles (2.5% of the total). University of Verona in Italy has the most citations at 9,405, and Monash University in Australia has the highest total link strength at 53. Among prolific authors, John A. Batsis from Duke University is the most productive with 24 articles (2.4% of the total). The journal "Nutrients" has the most articles on sarcopenic obesity in older adults, publishing 54 articles (5.5% of the total). Key topics in this area include sarcopenia, obesity, sarcopenic obesity, and elderly. Recent interventions focus on "nutrition" and "exercise" for sarcopenic obesity in older adults. Conclusions Research on sarcopenic obesity in older adults has seen significant growth on a global scale from 2004 to 2023, indicating a promising area for further study with potential benefits from current advancements. Although academic inquiries have shed light on various aspects of sarcopenic obesity in older adults, there remains a noticeable dearth of clinical research and evidence-based medicine on the effective management of this condition in elderly individuals. Future studies could focus on developing tailored interventions for older adults with sarcopenic obesity.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis; citespace; obesity; older adult; vosviewer; sarcopenia.

Figure 1. The analysis of annual publication quantity and citation frequency in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. (A) The annual publication quantity and citation frequency of research on sarcopenic obesity in the elderly from 2004 to 2023. (B) The annual publication quantity, cumulative publication quantity, and their polynomial fitting curves for sarcopenic obesity in the elderly from 2004 to 2023.

Figure 2. National/regional collaborative network mapping of sarcopenic obesity in elderly research from 2004 to 2023.

Figure 3. The annual publication trends of the top 10 authors in terms of publication volume are illustrated in the graph. The horizontal axis shows the progression of time, while the vertical axis displays the top 10 authors based on their publication volume. Node size indicates the quantity of published documents, and color depth represents the total citations (TC) per year, with darker colors indicating higher citation rates.

Figure 4. The map visualizes the co-occurring authors in research on sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. Nodes of different colors reflect authors in distinct clusters, with node size indicating the frequency of co-occurrence. The links depict the relationships among authors in terms of co-occurrence.

Figure 5. The map illustrates co-cited authors in research on sarcopenic obesity in the elderly, with node size indicating citation frequency. These data are visualized through VOSviewer to effectively depict and analyze the interconnections among cited authors in the research landscape of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly.

Figure 6. The analysis of institutions in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The co-occurrence graph of research institutions is presented, with node size indicating the frequency of co-occurrence and connections representing the relationships between them. The size of each node reflects how frequently research institutions appear together, while the links indicate instances of their collaborative occurrences.

Figure 7. The analysis of institutions in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The figure illustrates the recent contributions of institutions to research on sarcopenic obesity in the elderly compared to their overall output from 2004 to 2023. A red bias indicates increased influence, while a blue bias suggests decreased activity in the field. The color scale represents the ratio of keywords over the past five years, emphasizing institutions with significant impacts or reduced involvement in this study.

Figure 8. The analysis of journals in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. (A) The VOSviewer visualization analyzes the collaborative relationships between journals, where nodes represent journals that have published more than 10 documents. The nodes are colored based on their cluster membership, and the size of the node indicates how frequently the journal appears in the network.

Figure 9. The analysis of journals in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The VOSviewer visualization enables the exploration of connections between journals, with node size indicating the frequency of citations and reflecting the significance and influence of the journals in the network.

Figure 10. The analysis of keywords in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The keyword map of sarcopenic obesity in elderly research visually displays the connections among studied keywords. Nodes, distinguished by various colors, represent different keyword clusters. The size of each node reflects the frequency of co-occurrence, while connections between nodes illustrate relationships among keywords.

Figure 11. The analysis of keywords in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The figure illustrates the recent research contributions of institutions to sarcopenic obesity in the elderly compared to their overall output from 2004 to 2023. A red bias indicates increased influence, while a blue bias suggests decreased activity in the field. The color scale represents the ratio of keywords over the past five years, emphasizing institutions with significant impacts or reduced involvement in this study.

Figure 12. The analysis of keywords in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The word map demonstrates the outcomes of automated categorization of important keywords within the field using factorial analysis. It uncovers potential associations among these keywords and provides insights into research areas and application directions they suggest.

Figure 13. The analysis of highly cited references in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. A visual representation illustrates the connection among the top 25 extensively referenced sources. The size of each node corresponds to the level of citation intensity, and the nodes are arranged from left to right in chronological order of citation occurrences, with the most recently cited sources placed farthest to the right.

Figure 14. The analysis of highly cited references in the field of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly. The diagram depicts 25 primary references with noticeable bursts of citations, represented by red spikes on the timeline. These spikes indicate rapid increases in citation counts, highlighting significant moments of important questions or solutions emerging in the field.