Effects of posture, side and dominant hand on calf circumference measurement in community‐dwelling older adults

Aim Calf circumference (CC) measurement has been used for assessing skeletal muscle mass and for screening sarcopenia. However, there is no gold standard method for CC assessment. Methods We analyzed 1439 participants (mean age 75.9 ± 3.8 years, 47.7% men) from the 2017 baseline survey of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. CC was measured, using a tape, on both sides in standing and sitting positions. For sarcopenia, the diagnostic criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 was used. Results The mean of CC on the left side (Lt.CC) was smaller than that on the right side (Rt.CC) in standing (Rt.CC 33.82 cm, Lt.CC 33.76 cm, P = 0.006) and sitting (Rt.CC 34.29 cm, Lt.CC 34.21 cm, P = 0.005) positions. The Lt.CC of right‐handers, regardless of posture, was smaller than Rt.CC (standing: Rt.CC 33.83 cm, Lt.CC 33.76 cm, P = 0.006; sitting: Rt.CC 34.28 cm, Lt.CC 34.21 cm, P = 0.006). The Lt.CC of left‐handers was non‐significantly smaller than Rt.CC (standing: Rt.CC 33.77 cm, Lt.CC 33.75 cm, P = 0.896; sitting: Rt.CC 34.35 cm, Lt.CC 34.28 cm, P = 0.527). In the results of receiver operating characteristic analysis of CC for diagnosing sarcopenia based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, Rt.CC in the standing posture showed the largest area under the curve (standing: Rt.CC 0.716, Lt.CC 0.714; sitting: Rt.CC 0.707, Lt.CC 0.703). Conclusions Our study shows that CC measurement on either side in the standing posture, regardless of the dominant hand, can be used as an optimal method for screening sarcopenia in community‐dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 822–827 .