Social Marketing Project - Sarcopenia (Research Paper Sample)

Social Marketing Project Sarcopenia: Causal Analysis Student’s Name Affiliation Course Instructor Due Date 1.0. Sarcopenia: Causal Analysis 1.1. Introduction Sarcopenia is a geriatric condition characterized by generalized and progressive loss of skeletal mass and function. Multiple studies have demonstrated the association of sarcopenia with a variety of adverse health outcomes, such as functional decline, falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and mortality in elderly adults (Gao et al., 2021). The syndrome is also associated with poor prognosis of various cancers, including lung cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, cancers of the digestive system, urothelial cancer, ovarian cancer, and hematological malignancy (Gao et al., 2021). Sarcopenia increases the risk of some diseases, such as cognitive impairment, diabetes, dysphagia, nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, osteoporosis, and hypertension. Initially, the concept of sarcopenia focused only on physiological aging. However, current evidence suggests that sarcopenia affects both older and younger adults (Cherin et al., 2013). To date, the exact pathogenesis of sarcopenia remains unclear and there are no targeted drug treatments. As such, the identification of potentially modifiable factors (individual, behavioral, and social factors) for sarcopenia is critical to the early implementation of effective interventions to reduce the incidence of the disease and the adverse outcomes with which it is associated (Seo et al., 2021). According to Gao et al., (2021), sarcopenia is attributed to a wide variety factors, including sociodemographic factors (age, sex, residence, living conditions, and marital status, behavioral and lifestyle variables (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and nutrition), disease-related factors (diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis/osteopenia, cancer, respiratory diseases, heart diseases, depression, and fall), as well as social factors (social security, including insurance coverage, access to elderly care, and resource/income availability). The lifestyle, behavioral, and social variables’ association with the condition has attracted the attention of social marketers. Social marketers aim at changing people’s behavior for the benefit of individuals and society. While they can do little regarding genetic predisposition, age, or disease-related causes of sarcopenia, they have numerous opportunities for reducing the incidence and impact of sarcopenia through behavior change interventions. However, in order to develop suitable interventions for sarcopenia, it is necessary to perform a causal analysis of this health and social problem. This causal analysis will cut across individual and environmental influences. 1.2. Individual Influences Individual influences of this social problem refer to contributing factors to sarcopenia that are controllable at the individual level. They include the lack of physical activity, poor nutrition or dietary intake, smoking and alcohol consumption, and lack of social participation. 1.2.1. Poor nutrition/dietary intake Several studies have indicated that nutrition-related factors are directly and significantly associated with sarcopenia (Papadopoulou, 2020; Lyu et al., 2022; Seo et al., 2021). Lyu et al., (2022) posit that balanced dietary variety, appropriate protein and dairy intake, and vegetable and fruit consumption aid grip strength and prevent sarcopenia in older adults. For sarcopenia, four areas of diet and supplementation are considered essential: proteins, vitamin D, and antioxidants. The intake of high-quality protein from whole foods and dietary supplements, such as eggs, soy, and meat induce muscle protein synthesis. Dairy is also a great source of protein, and is linked to higher bone mineralization and building of muscle mass. Vitamin D also plays a vital role in the prevention of sarcopenia. Low levels of Vitamin D have been reported to reduce skeletal muscle mass, resulting in sarcopenia. Foods high in vitamin D and omega-3 content (for example, fish) and vitamin D supplements, such as Magnesium, increase muscle strength and prevent muscle fiber degeneration. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids (for example, beta-carotene), lutein, lycopene, and selenium can also help improve muscle and body strength, as well as physical performance in healthy older adults. In spite of the benefits of a balanced dietary intake rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, older adults do not take them in sufficient amounts. As Papadopoulou (2020) asserts, food intake declines by about 25 percent between the ages of 40 and 70, and is often accompanied by a monotonous dietary pattern that leads to insufficient nutrient intake. This weakens muscles and leads to the development of sarcopenia. Poor nutritional habits or malnutrition by young people can lead to the incidence of sarcopenia in later years. Younger people are increasingly eating unhealthy foods, such as fast foods (potato chips, pies, burgers, pizza), sugary foods rich in sugar and saturated fats (cakes, chocolate, biscuits, and pastries), and carbonated drinks (soda) with high sugar content. These poor eating habits can lead to diet-related illnesses such as sarcopenia in their elderly years. 1.2.2. Lack of physical activity Low levels of physical activity among older adults plays a significant role in the development of sarcopenia. Physical exercise greatly reduces the risk of sarcopenia. The most important forms of physical exercise that play a role in sarcopenia prevention are resistance training, aerobic exercise, and HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Progressive resistance training, in which individuals exercise against an increasing load has been shown to increase the muscle cross-sectional area and grip strength. Additionally, aerobic exercise of the skeletal muscle activates mitochondrial biogenesis, restores mitochondrial metabolism, increases the synthesis of muscle proteins, and decreases catabolic gene expression. Combined with HIIT, aerobic exercises also enhance muscle endurance. All these have a protective effect against sarcopenia. Due to decrease in body energy, older people rarely engage or find it difficult to engage in physical activity. Not only do many physical activities attract young adults, making older people feel unwelcome, but also older people tend to have a preference for sedentary activities, such as reading. Some older people might also be living with chronic health conditions, such diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, and may find it challenging to engage in physical activity due to practical, financial, and emotional barriers. Living a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a greater risk of sarcopenia. 1.2.3. Smoking and alcohol intake Smoking is an unhealthy habit, not just because of its relation to sarcopenia, but because it is linked to a host of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and diabetes. In relation to sarcopenia, tobacco promotes muscle catabolism. Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke leads to reduced activity levels of the skeletal muscle cells involved in protein homeostasis (Silveira et al., 2020). Smoking also induces the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, which accelerates muscle protein degradation (Silveira et al., 2020). Globally and in Canada, older people are more likely to smoke cigarettes. A recent Canadian tobacco, alcohol, and drugs survey by the Government of Canada (2021) reported that 11 percent of Canadians aged 25 and older are currently smoking, compared to 3.5 percent of Canadians adolescents aged 15-19. This increases their exposure to sarcopenia. Alcohol consumption is also linked to sarcopenia. Long-term heavy drinking causes loss of skeletal muscle strength and function (Marcell, 2003). As such, elderly people who regularly consumed alcohol in their younger years have a higher predisposition to sarcopenia. 1.2.4. Social isolation A lack of social participation and having a depressed mood is a secondary rather than a primary cause of sarcopenia. Middle-aged and older people who live alone, are socially inactive and lack contact with their children have an elevated risk for sarcopenia (Hu et al., 2023). They are also likely to record low levels of physical activity and poor eating habits, increasing their chances of developing sarcopenia (Hu et al., 2023). 1.2.5 The Role of Individual Responsibility Given the adverse health and social consequences of sarcopenia, the condition calls for the attention of social marketers. Social marketers should develop interventions to deal with the contributing (individual and environmental) factors of sarcopenia. Such initiatives may include community-wide physical activity campaigns, anti-smoking campaigns, and healthy eating programs. However, social marketers’ interventions do not rule out individual responsibility. As discussed above, poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption, and social isolation are individual influences for sarcopenia. Combating sarcopenia requires people to take a personal initiative and change their behaviors with regard to these individual influences. In Chapter 8 (Critical Marketing), Hastings & Domegan (2018) emphasize the need for individual responsibility. They state: “We too (social marketers) need to ask what we can do to make the system better so that healthy – and ecological, socially enhancing, politically intelligent, ethical – choices become the obvious and easy ones. But equally, social marketers recognize systemic change is not enough; a degree of personal responsibility is essential” (pg. 218). Thus, while social marketers can play their part in combating this social problem, individuals – especially those who are already suffering from or are predisposed to sarcopenia (the elderly) – should also...