Understanding of frailty amid Japanese elderly people who participated in preventive care events and characteristics of those lacking understanding of frailty

Abstract

Background & aims. In Japan, preventive care events are held at various places. This study examined the understanding of frailty among elderly people who participated in preventive care events and related factors to further demonstrate the effect of frailty prevention in preventive care events. Methods. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among elderly people who participated in preventive care events in Higashimurayama City, Tokyo, from October to December 2019. We asked about their understanding of frailty, extraversion, variables related to frailty assessment, and demographic characteristics. We analysed 403 participants aged ≥ 65 years. We examined the degree of understanding of frailty and its related factors. Results. The responses ‘I know of it enough to explain its details’ or ‘I somewhat know of it’ were categorised as ‘understanding of frailty (n = 215, 53.4%)’, and the responses ‘I have heard of it but do not know its details’ or ‘I have not heard of it’ were categorised as ‘non-understanding of frailty (n = 188, 46.6%)’. We found that participants who did not understand frailty were more likely to participate in preventive care events as attendants (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.85 [1.37, 5.95]) than participants who understood frailty. Conclusions. Among elderly people who participated in preventive care events, those who did not understand frailty did not actively participate in community activities. It is necessary to incorporate activities that enable elderly people to recognise their own health conditions and physical functions into community activities.