Frailty in community-dwelling older adults: association with adverse outcomes.
BACKGROUND
The study of frailty is important to identify the additional needs of medical long-term care and prevent adverse outcomes in community dwelling older adults. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of frailty and its association with adverse outcomes in community dwelling older adults.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to September 2014. The population sample was 1,252 older adults (≥60 years) who were beneficiaries of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Mexico City. Data were derived from the database of the "Cohort of Obesity, Sarcopenia and Frailty of Older Mexican Adults" (COSFOMA). Operationalization of the phenotype of frailty was performed using the criteria of Fried et al (weight loss, self-report of exhaustion, low physical activity, slow gait, and weakness). Adverse outcomes studied were limitation in basic activities of daily living (ADLs), falls and admission to emergency services in the previous year, and low quality of life (WHOQOL-OLD).


RESULTS
Frailty was identified in 20.6% (n=258), pre-frailty in 57.6% (n=721), and not frail in 21.8% (n=273). The association between frailty and limitations in ADL was odds ratio (OR) =2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-3.2) and adjusted OR =1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.4); falls OR =1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.1) and adjusted OR =1.4 (95% CI 1.0-1.9); admission to emergency services OR =1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.1) and adjusted OR =1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.4); low quality of life OR =3.4 (95% CI 2.6-4.6) and adjusted OR =2.1 (95% CI 1.5-2.9).


CONCLUSION
Approximately 2 out of 10 older adults demonstrate frailty. This is associated with limitations in ADL, falls, and admission to emergency rooms during the previous year as well as low quality of life.
['Sánchez-García|Sergio|S|', 'García-Peña|Carmen|C|', 'Salvà|Antoni|A|', 'Sánchez-Arenas|Rosalinda|R|', 'Granados-García|Víctor|V|', 'Cuadros-Moreno|Juan|J|', 'Velázquez-Olmedo|Laura Bárbara|LB|', 'Cárdenas-Bahena|Ángel|Á|']
D000058:Accidental Falls D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D015331:Cohort Studies D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital D015444:Exercise D005221:Fatigue D005260:Female D016330:Frail Elderly D000073496:Frailty D006801:Humans D057187:Independent Living D008297:Male D008800:Mexico D008875:Middle Aged D009765:Obesity D016017:Odds Ratio D015995:Prevalence D011788:Quality of Life D055948:Sarcopenia
frailty social security falls emergency services quality of life aging limitations in daily living