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Research project

Musculoskeletal functional ability in three diverse Sub-Saharan Africa Populations: Prevalence, Nutritional Risk Factors and Implementable Solutions for better muscle health

Project overview

Loss of muscle strength and function is a common manifestation of ageing (known as sarcopenia), which leads to falls and fragility fractures (broken bones from low impact injuries), disability, frailty, and sometimes death. Despite this, little is known about how muscle ages in people living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), nor the risk factors for muscle loss or the impact on quality of life. We will study three different populations in The Gambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. MUFASSA is an international cross-sectional study set across three countries in SSA, which broadly aims to assess muscle strength & function to understand healthy ageing. It is a 4 year project, which started in January 2022. More specifically MUFASSA aims to:i. Calculate how commonly muscle strength is impaired, physical functional is limited and muscle loss is experienced. ii. Understand to what extent losses in muscle strength and ability reduce the ability to perform activities of daily life, increase the risk of frailty and disability and how these impact quality of life. iii. Identify clinical, nutritional and metabolic risk factors for losses muscle function, to inform approaches to reduce future disability, and promote healthy ageing in SSA.

Staff

Lead researcher

Professor Kate Ward

Professor in Global M/skeletal Health
Other researchers

Professor Cyrus Cooper

Prof Rheumatology Clinical Epidemiology

Research interests

  • Key research contributions have been:
  • discovery of the developmental influences which contribute to the risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture in late adulthood
  • demonstration that maternal vitamin D insufficiency is associated with sub-optimal bone mineral accrual in childhood

Dr Jonathan Swann

Professor of Biomolecular Medicine

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Global Health (Demography)

The Global Health research group in Social Statistics and Demography is focused on exploring health issues and inequalities around the globe, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Research outputs

The impact of human immunodeficiency virus and menopause on bone mineral density
Tafadzwa Madanhire,
Julia H. Goedecke,
Kate A. Ward,
Nicole Jaff,
Nigel J. Crowther,
Shane Norris,
Rashida A. Ferrand,
Andrea M. Rehman,
Lisa K. Micklesfield,
& Celia L. Gregson
, 2023 , Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , 38 (5) , 619--630
DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4765
Type: article
Longitudinal change in bone density, geometry and estimated bone strength in older men and women from The Gambia
Mícheál Ó Breasail,
Camille Parsons,
Ayse Zengin,
Landing Jarjou,
Cyrus Cooper,
Peter R Ebeling,
Ann Prentice,
& Kate A Ward
, 2023 , Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , 38 (1) , 48--58
DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4727
Type: article
Sex-specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors and physical function: The Gambian Bone and Muscle Ageing Study
Ayse Zengin,
Micheal O. Breasail,
Camille Parsons,
Landing M. Jarjou,
Ramatoulie E. Janha,
Ann Prentice,
Cyrus Cooper,
Peter R. Ebeling,
& Kate Ward
, 2023 , Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle , 14 (1) , 84--92
DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13069
Type: article
Nutrition in adolescent growth and development
Shane Norris,
Edward A Frongillo,
Maureen M Black,
Yanhui Dong,
Caroline Fall,
Michelle Lampl,
Angela D Liese,
Mariam Naguib,
Ann Prentice,
Tamsen J. Rochat,
Charles B Stephensen,
Chiwoneso B Tinago,
Kate Ward,
Stephanie V. Wrottesley,
& George Patton
, 2022 , The Lancet , 399 (10320) , 172--184
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01590-7
Type: article
Impaired bone architecture in peripubertal children with HIV, despite treatment with antiretroviral therapy
Cynthia Mukwasi-Kahari,
Andrea M. Rehman,
Mícheál Ó Breasail,
Ruramayi Rukuni,
Tafadzwa Madanhire,
Joseph Chipanga,
Lynda Stranix-Chibanda,
Lisa K. Micklesfield,
Rashida A. Ferrand,
Kate A. Ward,
& Celia L. Gregson
, 2022 , Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , 38 (2) , 248--260
DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4752
Type: article
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