Frailty in community-dwelling older people: Prevalence and associated factors

Abstract

Foundations: Elderly people living in the community are prone to developing frailty, considered as a clinically identifiable state that increases vulnerability to adverse events and predicts disability and mortality in the elderly population. Objective: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with frailty in the elderly living in the community. Materials and method: This is a cross-sectional and analytical household survey with a quantitative approach conducted with 854 elderly people living in the community. Frailty was measured by Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS). The association between frailty and sociodemographic and clinical condition variables was measured by multiple analysis using logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of frailty found in this study was 12.3% (95% CI: 10.1 to 14.5). The logistic regression model showed that the variables statistically associated with frailty were: Recurrent fall, use of walking aids, polypharmacy, poor self-rated health, dependence on basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Conclusion: The prevalence of frailty in the elderly was low compared to other national studies that employed the SAI. Results indicated potentially modifiable factors associated with frailty. Thus, the investigation of frailty syndrome and its related preventable factors are actions to be included in clinical practice.