Health Literacy-Based Multifactorial Program for Adults With Sarcopenia

June 12, 2026 updated by: Taipei Medical University Hospital

The Effects of a Health Literacy-Based Multifactorial Intervention for Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is a common age-related condition characterized by the progressive loss of muscle mass and function, which may lead to reduced physical performance, disability, and poorer quality of life. Exercise and nutritional management are considered the primary interventions for preventing and managing sarcopenia; however, successful implementation requires long-term lifestyle modifications. Previous studies have indicated that health literacy among the general population in Taiwan remains insufficient, potentially limiting individuals' ability to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Therefore, interventions that improve health literacy may help promote healthy aging and sarcopenia prevention.

The purpose of this study is to develop a sarcopenia-specific health literacy questionnaire and to evaluate the effectiveness of a health literacy-based multifactorial intervention among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. A total of 100 participants will be enrolled and assigned to either an intervention group (n=50) or a control group (n=50). The intervention group will participate in six 60-minute sessions consisting of health education and exercise training. Health literacy and other self-reported outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention, with follow-up assessments conducted three months later. The study aims to determine whether the intervention can improve participants' health literacy and support the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors related to sarcopenia prevention and management.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a nonrandomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of a health literacy-based multifactorial intervention in middle-aged and older adults with sarcopenia. Participants will be recruited from outpatient rehabilitation referrals at Taipei Medical University Hospital and from the community. A total of 100 participants will be enrolled and assigned to either an intervention group (n=50) or a control group (n=50).

Eligible participants are adults aged 40 years or older who are willing to participate in a multifactorial intervention program. Participants will be excluded if they are unable to complete six intervention sessions and follow-up assessments over a 3-month period, have cognitive impairments that prevent them from understanding or completing questionnaires, or have medical conditions that contraindicate participation in physical activity.

The intervention consists of six 60-minute sessions delivered over the study period. Each session includes structured health education and exercise training aimed at improving health literacy, enhancing awareness of sarcopenia, and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. The control group will receive usual care without structured intervention.

Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome is health literacy, measured using a sarcopenia-specific health literacy questionnaire developed in this study. Secondary outcomes may include self-reported health behaviors and related functional indicators.

Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participant characteristics. Independent t-tests and/or repeated measures analyses will be used to compare changes between groups. A p-value of less than 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
    • Taipei City
      • Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan, 110
        • Taipei Medical University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Age ≥ 40 years old (2) has willingness to participate our multifactorial approach. (3) Participants eligible for intervention following assessment by a rehabilitation physician

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) unable to complete all the sic sections of multifactorial approach and lost follow up. (2) unable to comprehend and finish the sarcopenia literacy questionnaire, or has other conditions that could not participation the activities. (3)Participants with other medical conditions that could not participate the intervention will be excluded.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Multicomponent Intervention Group

Participants in the intervention group will receive a structured multicomponent program designed to improve sarcopenia-related health literacy and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors. The program consists of six 60-minute sessions delivered over the intervention period.

Each session includes health education focusing on sarcopenia awareness, risk factors, prevention strategies, and self-management, combined with supervised exercise training. The exercise component is designed to improve physical function and promote regular physical activity. Participants will receive guidance aimed at enhancing understanding and application of health information in daily life.
Behavioral: Multicomponent Intervention
A structured intervention consisting of six 60-minute sessions that combine health education and exercise training. The program is designed to improve sarcopenia-related health literacy, increase awareness of sarcopenia prevention, and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among middle-aged and older adults.
No Intervention: Usual Care Control Group
Participants receive usual care and do not participate in the structured intervention program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sarcopenia literacy quscitonaire
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Sarcopenia-related health literacy will be assessed using a sarcopenia-specific health literacy questionnaire developed in this study. The questionnaire evaluates participants' knowledge, understanding, and ability to apply health information related to sarcopenia prevention and management. Higher scores indicate better health literacy.
Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Taipei Medical University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 4, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 3, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 3, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 113TMUHP0

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality concerns and because data sharing was not included in the informed consent obtained from participants.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Life Style

Clinical Trials on Multicomponent Intervention

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Malta

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe