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. 2025 Feb;16(1):99-113.
doi: 10.1007/s41999-024-01132-5. Epub 2025 Jan 6.

Perceptions of sarcopenia in patients, health and care professionals, and the public: a scoping review of studies from different countries

Emma Grace Lewis  1   2 , Christopher Hurst  3   4 , Linda Errington  5 , Avan A Sayer  3   4
Affiliations

Perceptions of sarcopenia in patients, health and care professionals, and the public: a scoping review of studies from different countries

Emma Grace Lewis et al. Eur Geriatr Med. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Rationale and objective: Perceptions of sarcopenia have rarely been explored, yet understanding these will be key for successful translation of sarcopenia research findings into meaningful benefits for patients and the public. This scoping review aimed to explore how sarcopenia is perceived amongst patients, health and care professionals (HCP), and the public in different countries.

Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched from inception up to December 2023 with no geographical or language limitations. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed research of any design where the focus related to perceptions of sarcopenia. Studies using alternative descriptors only, such as "skeletal muscle weakness/loss" were excluded. Study characteristics were charted, and thematic synthesis conducted.

Results: Following independent screening of 11,533 records, 20 articles were included in this review representing 19 countries. Five studies focused on patient perceptions, 11 investigated HCP, and four the public. Three key themes were identified: (1) Low awareness of sarcopenia-among all groups, its nature as a disease was contested. (2) The "know-do" gap in healthcare-even where knowledge among HCP existed, this had not translated into clinical practice, in part, due to perceptions of sarcopenia and its management. (3) Experiencing weakness-living with sarcopenia had physical and psychological sequalae.

Key conclusions: These findings reveal perceptions that may be contributing to the slow adoption of sarcopenia prevention, screening, diagnosis, and management. Addressing these areas has the potential to aid translation of sarcopenia research findings into improved clinical care and benefits for patients and the public.

Keywords: Ageing; Older people; Perceptions; Qualitative research; Sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no competing interests to disclose, either financial or non-financial, that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent: For this type of study formal consent was not required.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Diagram illustrating the key themes and sub-themes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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