Journal of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics (Sep 2024)

Impact of Frailty on Omani Older Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the Multidimensional Prognostic Index in Primary Health Care

  • Chefi Ben Chaouacha,
  • Yahya Al Farsi,
  • Hamed Al-Reesi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/jiag.jiag_27_24
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 3
pp. 94 – 99

Abstract

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Background: Frailty, a state of diminished physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors, is common among geriatric Omani patients attending primary health-care settings. Frailty has been shown to be a dominant predictor of multiple adverse health outcomes such as falls, functional disability, delirium, health-care utilization, and all-cause mortality. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the relationship between frailty and adverse health outcomes in Omani older adults. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single center, from April 2020 to December 2022, involving 197 participants aged 65 years and older. Frailty was determined using the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI). The adverse outcomes under investigation included a history of falling, utilization of primary health-care services, and all-cause mortality. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs), along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), to evaluate the relationships between frailty and these adverse outcomes. Results: In the adjusted logistic regression model, frail older patients exhibited an elevated risk of falling in comparison to nonfrail patients (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.68, 3.05; OR: 5.94, 95% CI: 1.49, 23.69, respectively). Notably, frailty status demonstrated a significant difference in terms of primary health-care utilization (P = 0.016), particularly for prefrailty (mean ± standard deviation 18.8 ± 10.8). Furthermore, a weak positive correlation was identified between MPI means and the level of primary health-care utilization (r = 0.229, P < 0.001). In addition, it was observed that prefrailty and frailty significantly heightened the risk of all-cause mortality (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 0.16, 13.30; OR: 27.96, 95% CI: 3.37, 232.24, respectively). Conclusion: Prefrailty and frailty exert detrimental effects on older adults. It is imperative to focus on addressing prefrailty and frailty within primary health care to mitigate adverse outcomes and enhance the overall well-being of older adults.

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