Prevalence and Factors Associated With the Frailty Syndrome in Older Adults in the Brazilian Federal District

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Frailty syndrome (FS) in older adults has been recognized as a physiological vulnerability condition associated with aging, resulting from reduced homeostatic reserve and a difficulty of the body to respond adequately to stress, a highly predictive feature of a variety of adverse clinical outcomes including functional decline, institutionalization, and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with FS in a population assisted by an outpatient geriatric unit at a specialized geriatric and gerontological care center in the Brazilian Federal District. METHODS: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with older people who were assisted at the specialized center for geriatrics and gerontology of the Brazilian Federal District Health Department. In the baseline evaluation of the participants, data were collected to identify the profile, functional capacity, multimorbidities and clinical outcomes such as falls, as well as the level of frailty, which was classified according to Fried's criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and Poisson's regression. RESULTS: In the present study, 24% of the total sample was considered frail, 32.9% pre-frail and 42.1%, non-frail. Regarding sociodemographic aspects, there was an association of frailty with the higher age group and with lower educational level. Diabetes, systemic arterial hypertension, incontinence, polypharmacy, depression, falls, and cognitive impairment were directly related to higher risk of frailty. CONCLUSION: The results obtained were useful to help define measures and strategies to prevent morbidity and mortality as well as to provide better quality of life for older adults.

Keywords

• elderly
• frailty syndrome
• prevalence
• risk factors