Media Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan
Vol. 36 No. 2 (2026): MEDIA PENELITIAN DAN PENGEMBANGAN KESEHATAN

Age and sex differences in body composition among Indonesian adults: a cross-sectional study

Evelin Malinti (Universitas Advent, Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Yunus Elon (Universitas Advent, Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Imanuel Sri Mei Wulandari (Universitas Advent, Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Jun 2026

Abstract

Background: Differences in body composition across adulthood are associated with increased metabolic risk and functional decline. Although body mass index (BMI) is widely used to assess nutritional status, it has limitations in distinguishing adiposity from skeletal muscle mass. Objective: This study aimed to analyze differences in body composition according to age and sex, and to examine the associations between age and BMI, total body fat, visceral fat, and skeletal muscle mass among Indonesian adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 282 adults aged ≥18 years using purposive sampling. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s rho correlation, Kruskal–Wallis test, and ordinal logistic regression. Results: A total of 51.1% of participants were classified as obese, while 77.3% exhibited low skeletal muscle mass. Age was positively correlated with total body fat (ρ = 0.259; p < 0.001) and visceral fat (ρ = 0.267; p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with skeletal muscle mass (ρ = −0.294; p < 0.001). Middle-aged adults demonstrated the highest adiposity levels, whereas younger adults exhibited higher skeletal muscle mass. Conclusion: Older age was associated with increased adiposity and reduced skeletal muscle mass. Comprehensive body composition assessment is important to support early identification of metabolic risk and sarcopenic obesity.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jmp2k

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Dentistry Environmental Science Medicine & Pharmacology

Description

Media of Health Research and Development is a journal that was developed to disseminate and discuss scientific papers on health development and other research of health. The journal is intended as a medium of communication for those who were interested to study health, among others, for researchers, ...