Current knowledge and practice of Australian and New Zealand health-care professionals in sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment: Time to move forward!

Suey S Y Yeung, Esmee M Reijnierse, Marijke C Trappenburg, Carel G M Meskers, Andrea B Maier

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the current knowledge and practice of sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment among health-care professionals before, directly after and 6 months after a professional development event on sarcopenia.

METHODS: This longitudinal study included Australian and New Zealand health-care professionals who completed questionnaires on knowledge, practice and barriers regarding sarcopenia before, directly after and 6 months after attending a professional development event on sarcopenia.

RESULTS: A total of 250 professionals participated; 84 completed the 6-month questionnaires. Before, directly after and at 6 months, respectively, 14.7%, 93.4% and 59.5% identified sarcopenia as a disease; 2.0%, 79.6% and 38.1% correctly answered the sex-specific cut-offs for low handgrip strength. Respectively, 12.0% and 14.3% reported to make sarcopenia diagnoses as part of their practice before and at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge about sarcopenia is limited among health-care professionals who attended a professional development event. Retention of knowledge remains a challenge to be addressed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e185-e193
JournalAustralasian Journal on Ageing
Volume39
Issue number2
Early online date15 Oct 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2020

Bibliographical note

© 2019 The Authors. Australasian Journal on Ageing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AJA Inc.

Funding

This project was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 675003 (PANINI program) and No. 689238 (PreventIT). The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study, data collection and analysis, interpretation of data or preparation of the manuscript. We thank Nutricia Australia for the contribution in recruitment of participants. This project was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska‐Curie grant agreement No. 675003 (PANINI program) and No. 689238 (PreventIT). The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study, data collection and analysis, interpretation of data or preparation of the manuscript. We thank Nutricia Australia for the contribution in recruitment of participants.

FundersFunder number
European Union's Horizon 2020
European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
Marie Sklodowska-Curie
Nutricia Australia
PreventIT
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme689238, 675003

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