Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: THAIS EVELIN MARQUES DA SILVA

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY COMPOSITION PROFILE WITH PHYSICAL FRAILTY AND FALLS IN ELDERLY PEOPLE FROM ALAGOA: ANALYSIS OF MEDIATION BY FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE

Elderly; Body composition; Functional Physical Performance; Frailty; Fall.

Sarcopenia, defined as low muscle strength and low muscle mass, is often accompanied by excess adiposity, resulting in a highly detrimental condition for the health of older adults known as sarcopenic obesity (SO). An altered body composition profile may contribute to a decline in physical function, increased frailty, and a higher risk of falls.Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between body composition profile and the presence of physical frailty and falls, as well as to examine the mediating role of impaired functional performance among older adults in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. This is a population-based, observational, analytical, and descriptive study. The sample consists of individuals aged 60 years and older, residing in the community of Maceió and ten additional municipalities in Alagoas. Sarcopenia was assessed using the five-time sit-to-stand test and the fat-free mass index measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Obesity was defined based on elevated body fat percentage, and SO was characterized by the coexistence of both sarcopenia and obesity. Functional performance was evaluated using the following tests: handgrip strength, sit-to-stand, sit-and-reach, static balance (TANDEM), dynamic balance (Timed Up and Go), and gait speed. Frailty was assessed using a modified frailty phenotype, and the occurrence of falls was determined through question five of the SARC-F questionnaire. The hypothesis of this study is that impaired functional performance may serve as a mechanism through which the likelihood of frailty and falls increases, particularly in individuals with a more compromised body composition profile—i.e., those with sarcopenic obesity—compared to those with obesity, sarcopenia alone, or an adequate body composition profile.