Huynh TQH, Pham TLA, Vo VT, Than HNT, Nguyen TV. Frailty and Associated Factors among the Elderly in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Geriatrics (Basel) 2022;
7:geriatrics7040085. [PMID:
36005261 PMCID:
PMC9407721 DOI:
10.3390/geriatrics7040085]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Frailty syndrome is common among older people and can lead to various adverse consequences such as falls, cognitive decline, disability, dependent living, increased mortality, excessive drug use, and prolonged hospital stays.
OBJECTIVES
This research determined the prevalence of frailty and associated factors among older adults in Vietnam.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 584 older adults across five Ho Chi Minh City wards from November 2020 to January 2021. Based on the modified Fried frailty scale, the participants were divided into three categories: robust, pre-frail, and frail. A chi-square test (or Fisher's test) examined the relationship between frailty categories and other variables. Multivariable logistic regression used variates with a cut-off of p ≤ 0.05 in the univariate analysis.
RESULTS
The prevalence rates of frailty and pre-frailty were 19% and 64%, respectively. The most common frailty component was weak grip strength (63.9%), followed by slowness (36.1%), weight loss (21.6%), low physical activity (19.5%), and exhaustion (18.5%). In addition, the prevalence of frailty was significantly associated with age, BMI levels, living alone, and sarcopenia.
CONCLUSION
The community's prevalence of frailty among older adults is high. Frailty can lead to many adverse consequences for the elderly. As there were some modifiable factors associated with frailty, it should be assessed in older people through community-based healthcare programs for early diagnosis and management.
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