Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Sarcopenia in Korean Cancer Survivors: Based on Data Obtained by the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008-2011

Using a representative dataset from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2008 to 2011, we analyzed anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-determined body composition findings for 493 cancer survivors (mean age a61.1 ± 12.6 years; 35.7% male). A much higher proportion of men (30.1%) than women (0.6%) met the criteria of sarcopenia. Subjects with a history of lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, or gastric cancer were prone to develop sarcopenia (31.6%, 26.3%, and 21.4%, respectively). Furthermore, sarcopenia was more prevalent among elderly (≥65 years; P < 0.001), those with a lower BMI level (<23 kg/m; P < 0.001), heavy drinker (P = 0.012), or smoker (P < 0.001), and those with inadequate intakes of protein (P = 0.017) and vitamin A (P = 0.024). Multivariable logistic analyses revealed sarcopenia was significantly associated with male gender (odds ratio [OR], 68.14; 95% CI, 15.52-299.13), a BMI of <23 kg/m (OR 35.93, 95% CI, 8.24-156.67), and inadequate protein intake (OR 3.07, 95% CI, 1.30-7.22); these factors are significant predictors of sarcopenia in Korean cancer survivors.