Machine Learning-Based Early Detection of Sarcopenia-Prone Risk Using Five-Time Sit-to-Stand Test Analysis

Sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and function, significantly impacts the quality of life in aging populations. Early detection and personalized intervention are crucial yet challenging due to the limited accessibility and scalability of traditional diagnostic methods. Building upon our previous work on gait-based assessment, this study presents a novel framework for early sarcopenia-prone risk detection using the five-time sit-to-stand (5TSTS) test, embodying Healthcare Industry 5.0’s vision of mass personalization with human-centered technology. Utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) and advanced analytics, our system segments 5TSTS into four biomechanically significant submotions [standing up (StU), standing transition (StT), sitting down (SiD), and sitting transition (SiT)]. This granular segmentation allows mass personalization in diagnostic evaluations by capturing individual-specific biomechanical profiles via wavelet-based feature extraction and machine learning (ML) techniques. Our framework employs big data analytics tools, including the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)-based feature selection and support vector machine synthetic minority oversampling technique (SVMSMOTE), to handle class imbalance and optimize individualized predictive accuracy. Tested on data from 52 elderly participants (aged 65–84 years), the system achieves outstanding personalized classification accuracy—up to 97.97% for multiclass risk stratification and 99.28% for binary (healthy versus sarcopenia-prone) classification—highlighting its potential for precise, patient-specific clinical decision-making. Furthermore, the wireless capability of our IoT-enabled wearable IMUs, coupled with minimal setup requirements, facilitates seamless data integration into cloud-based healthcare systems. This integration supports real-time remote monitoring and personalized health management. By leveraging advanced sensing, analytics, and connectivity technologies, our approach significantly advances personalized, accessible, and scalable sarcopenia-prone risk assessment, thereby contributing directly to the vision of Healthcare Industry 5.0.