Frailty levels in non-institutionalized older adults and sociodemographic characteristics

Abstract

Introduction: Frailty in older adults is a public health challenge and a priority, given its effects on the functional decline of individuals. Several factors account for its occurrence, including individual aspects. Purpose: To determine frailty levels and their association with sociodemographic characteristics in non-institutionalized older adults. Method: A crosssectional study was conducted on a sample consisting of 2 374 non-institutionalized adults older than 60 years from the Caribbean region of Colombia. The subjects were selected using probabilistic methods; patients with physical and mental disabilities were excluded. The frailty levels were determined based on the five criteria proposed by Fried. Results: The average age of the subjects was 72.2 ± 7.3 years, and the frailty frequency was 20.2 % among women and 25.1 % among men. Sex and age were found to be associated with frailty levels (p < 0.05). The risk of frailty was lower in women than in men (OR =0.54; CI 95 %=0.41-0.71). Subjects older than 85 years showed a frailty risk 1.95-fold higher than that of the younger subjects. (OR = 1.95; CI 95 %=1.3-2.92). Conclusion: A high frequency of frailty was found in older adults, with a significant percentage of pre-frail subjects. Identifying frailty is essential for decisionmaking and individualization of a treatment since it is closely related to adverse health events.