Feasibility of Estimating the Prevalence of Malnutrition, Frailty and Sarcopenia in Older People in UK Biobank, Cross-sectional Study: A Study Protocol

Background: measuring the prevalence of malnutrition, frailty and sarcopenia in same group of older adults is effective in understanding the relation between these conditions. This could support diagnosing, treatment and prevention in future practice. The research is aiming to measure the estimate prevalence of malnutrition, frailty, sarcopenia and their overlap in older adults, using the UK Biobank. In addition, it will aim to compare the two models of frailty the phenotype and deficit accumulation using the UK Biobank database, as data comparing these models is limited. Methods/design: This is a cross-sectional study design that will use the UK Biobank database, which includes 381,000 participants males and females, aged 50 years and above, who completed the UK Biobank baseline assessments were included that is a subset from the main sample size from the UK Biobank. For baseline, details of participant's characteristics will be included. All three conditions will be identified as malnutrition by using GLIM criteria, while frailty by using two models; the first model will be the 36 deficits model and phenotype model. Finally, sarcopenia condition will be judge according to EWGSOP standard. All these models will be determining the feasibility to apply it using the available database in the UK Biobank. Discussion: This proposed study will help in understanding the relation between malnutrition, frailty and sarcopenia. As in worldwide, there is little published research on the overlap between malnutrition, frailty and sarcopenia. Despite definitions and diagnostic criteria were developed for these conditions. There is conflict extend to the definitions and identification criteria's. This study will use UK Biobank database to measuring the estimate prevalence in older people and determine the overlap between three conditions.