Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39881231›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

The relationship between sarcopenia and mental health status in Chinese older adults: the mediating role of activities of daily living.

Huaiju Ge, Shilan Yang, Wenyu Su, Weimin Guan, Shihong Dong, Wenjing Chang, Huiyu Jia, Shan Jiang, Di Qin, Guifeng Ma

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. The crossroads between osteosarcopenia and intrinsic capacity-a narrative review.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Huaiju GeSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Shilan YangSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Wenyu SuSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Weimin GuanSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Shihong DongSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Wenjing ChangSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Huiyu JiaSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Shan JiangSchool of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Di Qin *School of Bioscience and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China. qindi@sdsmu.edu.cn.
Guifeng Ma *School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China. maguifeng10@126.com.

Funding

the National Food Safety Risk Center Joint Research Program LH2022GG06the Weifang Medical University Teaching Reform Program 2023YBC008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost existing studies focus on either the relationship between sarcopenia and depressive symptoms or sarcopenia and cognitive functions. Few studies have examined depressive symptoms and cognitive functions simultaneously. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between sarcopenia and both depressive symptoms and cognitive functions in the elderly by introducing activities of daily living to explore the mediating role of activities of daily living between sarcopenia and mental health.

methodsThis study used data from the 2015 and 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, including a total of 3,552 older adults aged 60 and above. We conducted descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis on the data and used seemingly unrelated regression to examine the relationship between sarcopenia, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functions in older adults. Bootstrap mediation analysis was used to further explore the mediating role of activities of daily living in the relationship between sarcopenia and depressive symptoms and cognitive functions in the elderly.

resultsAfter adjusting for confounding factors, sarcopenia was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.663, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with cognitive functions (β=-0.748, p < 0.001), indicating a negative impact of sarcopenia on mental health. Activities of daily living mediated the relationship between sarcopenia and mental health, with a stronger mediating effect between sarcopenia and depressive symptoms (18.77%, β = 0.125, 95%CI (0.035, 0.222)) than between sarcopenia and cognitive functions (12.82%, β=-0.099, 95%CI (-0.162, -0.035)).

conclusionsActivities of daily living partially mediated the relationship between sarcopenia and mental health status in Chinese older adults. Interventions targeting sarcopenia and activities of daily living may be an effective way to prevent and improve the mental health status of older adults.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingCognitionDepressionHealth StatusMental HealthSarcopeniaAgedAged, 80 and overChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedActivities of daily livingCognitive functionsDepressive symptomsMental healthOlder adultsSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID39881231
PMCPMC11776180

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.