{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T04:48:41Z","timestamp":1773982121229,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768521600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, even among those who are physically active. This study examined the associations between skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle power and fall risk in physically active, community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 280 participants (71.9 \u00b1 5.3 years; 75% women) enrolled in the Stay Up\u2013Falls Prevention Project. Assessments included skeletal muscle mass (anthropometric prediction equation), handgrip strength, lower limb strength and power (Five Times Sit-to-Stand test, 5\u00d7STS), and fall history over the past 12 months. Muscle power was calculated from 5\u00d7STS performance using the equation proposed by Alcazar and colleagues. Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. Results: Overall, 26.4% of participants reported at least one fall in the previous year, with a higher prevalence among women (28.9%) than men (18.8%). Fallers showed significantly lower handgrip strength (23.1 vs. 25.4 kg, p = 0.022) and poorer lower limb strength (9.2 vs. 8.7 s, p = 0.007) compared with non-fallers. However, no significant differences were found for skeletal muscle mass or sit-to-stand\u2013derived power. In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, and medications, lower limb strength remained the only independent variable associated with fall status (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.11\u20132.85, p = 0.016). ROC analysis confirmed fair discriminative capacity for 5\u00d7STS performance (AUC = 0.616, p = 0.003), with an optimal cut-off of 8.62 s (sensitivity = 78.4%, specificity = 33.0%). Handgrip strength, muscle mass, and power did not show independent associations with fall status. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the 5\u00d7STS test provides a simple, cost-effective, and functional indicator for fall-risk stratification in physically active older adults. Clinicians should consider the 5\u00d7STS as a sensitive functional indicator that contributes to fall risk stratification, ideally combined with complementary assessments (e.g., balance, gait, cognition) to improve risk stratification and guide preventive interventions in ageing populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics16020283","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T08:08:21Z","timestamp":1768550901000},"page":"283","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Associations of Muscle Mass, Strength, and Power with Falls Among Active Community-Dwelling Older Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1295-0826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Priscila","family":"Marconcin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Insight: Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Chile, Providencia 7500912, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joana","family":"Serpa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Insight: Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2145-846X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Mira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6574-0814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana L\u00facia","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Insight: Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9689-1077","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Estela S\u00e3o","family":"Martinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Intercultural and Transdisciplinary Studies (ISEIT), Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2458-3004","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00e2nia","family":"Loureiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Arts, Humanities and Sports, School of Education, Polytechnic University of Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center (SPRINT), 7800-295 Beja, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7889-5735","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margarida","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Arts, Humanities and Sports, School of Education, Polytechnic University of Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center (SPRINT), 7800-295 Beja, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6958-0267","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Petronela","family":"H\u0103isan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education and Sport, \u201c1 Decembrie 1918\u201d University of Alba Iulia, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8669-9099","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Casanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Insight: Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2540-2826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanessa","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Insight: Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Instituto Piaget, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1495-751 Lisboa, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/j.archger.2016.03.004","article-title":"Fall risk screening in the elderly: A comparison of the minimal chair height standing ability test and 5-repetition sit-to-stand test","volume":"65","author":"Reider","year":"2016","journal-title":"Arch. 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