Prevalence of Frailty and Its Association with Depressive Symptoms among European Older Adults from 17 Countries: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study

The mediating and moderating effect of health-promoting lifestyle on frailty and depressive symptoms for Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

This study aims to explore the mediating and moderating effect of health-promoting lifestyles on the relationship between frailty and depressive symptoms to provide a practical reference for effectively promoting the mental health of older adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of community-dwelling older adults (n = 3107) was conducted in three cities of Ningxia Province, China. Depressive symptoms, frailty, and health-promoting lifestyles were assessed through the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale, frailty scale, and health-promoting Lifestyle profile-II, respectively. The Bootstrap methods PROCESS program is employed to test the mediation and moderation model.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that health-promoting lifestyles are negatively related to depressive symptoms and frailty, while frailty is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Health-promoting lifestyles have mediated the relationship between frailty and depressive symptoms. Besides, the health-promoting lifestyles weakened the positive relationship between frailty and depression symptoms; there existed a moderating effect of health-promoting lifestyles on the relationship between frailty and depression symptoms among older adults.

LIMITATIONS

Given the cross-sectional study, it is impossible to make causal inferences.

CONCLUSIONS

A health-promoting lifestyle might be a protective factor for older adults' health in China. The mediating and moderating effect of a health-promoting lifestyle on the relationship between frailty and depression symptoms among older adults should be integrated to achieve maximum utility. Healthcare practitioners and medical service personnel are recommended to advance health education and publicity, encouraging healthy lifestyles among community-dwelling older adults with frailty to prevent depressive symptoms and promote healthy aging.

Effects of physical training on depression and related quality of life in pre-frail and frail older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of physical training on depression and related quality of life in pre-frail and frail individuals.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

Pre-frail and frail older adults.

METHODS

Five electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, CINAHL, and Wiley were searched through December 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing physical training with usual care, health education, or light-intensity exercise were included. Outcomes included depression and depression-related quality of life. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) score, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan5.4. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated by The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

Ten articles with 589 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included. The pooled analysis indicated that depression (SMD = -0.55, 95%CI = -0.92, -0.17, p = 0.004) and mental health status in life (SMD = 1.05, 95%CI = 0.59, 1.50, p < 0.00001) improved significantly in the experimental group. The results of subgroup analysis revealed that the beneficial effects of physical training were significant only in frail older adults but not in pre-frail older adults.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis showed that the positive effects of physical training on depression and related quality of life were evident for people with frailty. However, no positive results were observed in pre-frail older adults, indicating the need for further investigation in this subgroup.

The brain structure, inflammatory, and genetic mechanisms mediate the association between physical frailty and depression

Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated strong associations between physical frailty and depression. However, the evidence from prospective studies is limited. Here, we analyze data of 352,277 participants from UK Biobank with 12.25-year follow-up. Compared with non-frail individuals, pre-frail and frail individuals have increased risk for incident depression independent of many putative confounds. Altogether, pre-frail and frail individuals account for 20.58% and 13.16% of depression cases by population attributable fraction analyses. Higher risks are observed in males and individuals younger than 65 years than their counterparts. Mendelian randomization analyses support a potential causal effect of frailty on depression. Associations are also observed between inflammatory markers, brain volumes, and incident depression. Moreover, these regional brain volumes and three inflammatory markers-C-reactive protein, neutrophils, and leukocytes-significantly mediate associations between frailty and depression. Given the scarcity of curative treatment for depression and the high disease burden, identifying potential modifiable risk factors of depression, such as frailty, is needed.

Diet and lifestyle behaviours simultaneously act on frailty: it is time to move the threshold of frailty prevention and control forward

BACKGROUND

To analyse the association among the simultaneous effects of dietary intake, daily life behavioural factors, and frailty outcomes in older Chinese women, we predicted the probability of maintaining physical robustness under a combination of different variables.

METHODS

The Fried frailty criterion was used to determine the three groups of "frailty", "pre-frailty", and "robust", and a national epidemiological survey was performed. The three-classification decision tree model was fitted, and the comprehensive performance of the model was evaluated to predict the probability of occurrence of different outcomes.

RESULTS

Among the 1,044 participants, 15.9% were frailty and 50.29% were pre-frailty; the overall prevalence first increased and then decreased with age, reaching a peak at 70-74 years of age. Through univariate analysis, filtering, and embedded screening, eight significant variables were identified: staple food, spices, exercise (frequency, intensity, and time), work frequency, self-feeling, and family emotions. In the three-classification decision tree, the values of each evaluation index of Model 3 were relatively average; the accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1 score range were between 75% and 84%, and the AUC was also greater than 0.800, indicating excellent performance and the best interpretability of the results. Model 3 takes exercise time as the root node and contains 6 variables and 10 types, suggesting the impact of the comprehensive effect of these variables on robust and non-robust populations (the predicted probability range is 6.67-93.33%).

CONCLUSION

The combined effect of these factors (no exercise or less than 0.5 h of exercise per day, occasional exercise, exercise at low intensity, feeling more tired at work, and eating too many staple foods (> 450 g per day) are more detrimental to maintaining robustness.

Prevalence and risk factors of frailty among older family caregivers

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of frailty and identify the demographical and clinical factors associated with frailty among older family caregivers.

METHOD

The participants of this cross-sectional study were older family caregivers (n = 125) living in Eastern Finland. Data on functional and cognitive status, depressive symptoms, nutritional status, medication, chronic diseases, stroke, and oral health were obtained. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to evaluate nutritional status. Frailty status was evaluated using the abbreviated comprehensive geriatric assessment (aCGA) scale.

RESULTS

Seventy-three percent of caregivers were identified as frail. According to multivariable logistic regression, cataract, glaucoma, or macular degeneration and the MNA score were predictors of frailty. After adjusting for age, gender, and number of own teeth, the MNA score remained a significant predictor of frailty (adjusted OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.41). As the MNA scores decreased (meaning poorer nutritional status), the risk of frailty increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that frailty is prevalent among older family caregivers. Recognising older family caregivers with frailty or at risk of frailty is vital. It is essential to acknowledge vision problems' role in frailty and to monitor and support the nutritional status of family caregivers regularly to prevent frailty development.

Family Support During Hospitalization Buffers Depressive Symptoms Among Independent Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

Hospitalization is a stressful event that may lead to deterioration in older adults' mental health. Drawing on the stress-buffering hypothesis, we examined whether family support during hospitalization would moderate the relations between level of independence and in-hospital depressive symptoms.

METHOD

This research was a secondary analysis of a cohort study conducted with a sample of 370 hospitalized older adults. Acutely ill older adults reported their level of independence at time of hospitalization and their level of depressive symptoms three days into the hospital stay. Family support was estimated by a daily report of hours family members stayed with the hospitalized older adult.

RESULTS

Independent older adults whose family members stayed longer hours in the hospital had fewer depressive symptoms than independent older adults with shorter family visits. Relations between depressive symptoms and family support were not apparent for dependent older adults, even though their family members stayed more hours.

CONCLUSIONS

This study partially supports the stress-buffering hypothesis, in that social support ameliorated depressive symptoms among hospitalized independent older adults.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Assessing depressive symptoms and functional ability and creating an environment conducive to family support for older adults may be beneficial to hospitalized older adults' mental health.

A Narrative Review of the Utilisation of the SHARE Frailty Instruments (SHARE-FI and SHARE-FI75+) in the Literature

This narrative literature review aimed to examine the utilisation of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) frailty instruments: SHARE-FI and SHARE-FI75+. We used the Google Scholar "cited by" function (accessed on February 20th, 2023) to identify all citations of the original SHARE-FI and SHARE-FI75+ studies. Included articles were categorised into four themes: epidemiological studies (prevalence and associated factors); associations with geriatric syndromes, diseases and health outcomes; randomised clinical trials (RCTs); and expert consensus and practice guidelines. Of 529 articles screened (446 citing SHARE-FI and 83 citing SHARE-FI75+), 64 (12.1%) were included. Sixteen (25.0%) were epidemiological; 35 (54.7%) described associations; 10 (15.6%) were RCTs; and 3 (4.7%) were expert consensus or practice guidelines. Frailty was associated with older age; female sex; higher morbidity; lower education; social isolation; worse nutrition and mobility; rheumatological, cardiovascular, and endocrine diseases; and greater healthcare utilisation and mortality. SHARE-FI was used in RCTs as entry criterion, controlling variable, and intervention outcome. SHARE-FI and SHARE-FI75+ have been recommended to aid the management of atrial fibrillation anticoagulation and hypertension, respectively. SHARE-FI and SHARE-FI75+, two open access phenotypical frailty measurement tools, have been utilised for a range of purposes, and mostly in epidemiological/associational studies.

Prevalence and associated factors of frailty among community dweller older adults living in Gondar town, northwest, Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a multidimensional geriatric condition that increases vulnerability to stressors, increases the risk of negative health outcomes, and lowers quality of life in older people. However, little attention has been paid to frailty in developing countries, particularly in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of frailty syndrome and the sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors associated with it.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from April to June 2022. A total of 607 study participants were included using a single cluster sampling technique. The Tilburg frailty indicator, which is a self-reported schedule for assessment of frailty, required respondents to answer 'yes' or 'no' and the total attainable score ranged from 0 to 15. An individual with a score of ≥ 5 considered frail. Data were collected by interviewing the participants using a structured questionnaire, and the data collection tools were pre-tested before the actual data collection period to check for the accuracy of responses, language clarity, and appropriateness of the tools. Statistical analyses were performed using the binary logistic regression model.

RESULTS

More than half of the study participants were male, and the median age of the study participants was 70, with an age range of 60-95 years. The prevalence of frailty was 39% (CI 95%, 35.51-43.1). In the final multivariate analysis model, the following factors associated with frailty were obtained: older age (AOR = 6.26 CI (3.41-11.48), presence of two or more comorbidities (AOR = 6.05 CI (3.51-10.43), activity of daily life dependency (AOR = 4.12 CI (2.49-6.80), and depression (AOR = 2.68 CI (1.55-4.63) were found to be significant factors.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Our study provides epidemiological characteristics and the risk factors of frailty in the study area. Efforts to promote physical, psychological, and social health in older adults are a core objective of health policy, especially for older adults aged 80 and above years, and those with two or more comorbidities.

Frailty in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-Prevalence and Management, Where Are We?

A recent report from the United Nations state that the percentage of elderly individuals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will witness a sharp increase in the next three decades (5.6% in 2017 to 23% by 2050). This situation will lead to an increased prevalence of comorbidities and hence, will require close monitoring and constant care of such individuals who are prone to suffer from complications such as arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, etc. Frailty is one such age-related phenomenon which enhances the risk of falling, functional restrictions and greater vulnerability to adverse consequences, which tend to lead to institutionalization. Such factors highlight the importance of the urgent awareness for circumventing the progression of frailty toward a compromised health status. This concise report is an attempt to sum up the relevant research articles published with regard to frailty and concomitant diseases in the last 5 years. It also sums up the research on frailty in the KSA elderly population, till date. This article reflects the opinions of an author on tackling such issues through a well-directed mechanism involving interdisciplinary transitional care and geriatric co-management.

Determining factors that maintain physical function or increase frailty using the Kihon checklist among community-dwelling older adults: a six-year longitudinal study in Agano, Japan

BACKGROUND

A significant increase in the older adult population in Japan will significantly increase healthcare costs. This study aimed to examine the risk factors contributing to robustness transitioning to frailty in older residents.

METHODS

Participants were aged 70 in 2016 and 76 in 2022. Participants were evaluated using the Kihon Checklist (KCL).

RESULTS

Participants for this longitudinal study included 444 older persons who completed the KCL surveys in 2016 and 2022. The follow-up rate was 80.6%; therefore, 358 participants were included in the analysis. The median KCL score increased significantly from 2 to 2016 to 3 in 2022 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of robustness significantly decreased from 60.9 to 48.6% (p = 0.042). In a stepwise logistic regression analysis, robustness was independently associated with regular continuous walks for 15 min and a body mass index of above 18.5%. The following variables were associated with the transition to prefrailty: experiencing a fall in the past year and not going out at least once a week. For the transition to frailty, the variables were turned to family or friends for advice, experienced a fall in the past year, and felt helpless in the last two weeks. The independent factor for the transition from prefrailty to frailty was having a BMI of less than 18.5. In contrast, the independent factor for improving from frailty to robustness or prefrailty was going out at least once a week.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend maintaining continuous walking for more than 15 min, maintaining a BMI of at least 18.5, and going out more than once a week to improve being house-bounded and depressive mood, not only to prevent the transition to prefrailty or frailty but also to improve frailty.

Sex Differences in Frailty Factors and Their Capacity to Identify Frailty in Older Adults Living in Long-Term Nursing Homes

Frailty is a phenomenon that precedes adverse health events in older people. However, there is currently no consensus for how to best measure frailty. Several studies report that women have a higher prevalence of frailty than men, but there is a gap in studies of the high rates of frailty in older people living in long-term nursing homes (LTNHs) stratified by sex. Therefore, we analyzed health parameters related to frailty and measured their capacity to identify frailty stratified by sex in older people living in LTNHs. According to the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP), anxiety increased the risk of frailty in women, while for men functionality protected against the risk of frailty. Regarding the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), functionality had a protective effect in men, while for women worse dynamic balance indicated a higher risk of frailty. The analyzed parameters had a similar capacity for detecting frailty measured by the TFI in both sexes, while the parameters differed in frailty measured by the FFP. Our study suggests that assessment of frailty in older adults should incorporate a broad definition of frailty that includes not only physical parameters but also psycho-affective aspects as measured by instruments such as the TFI.

Association between Perceived Health-Related Quality of Life and Depression with Frailty in the FRASNET Study

Frailty is a major challenge facing the aging world. The phenotype of the frail subject is still far from being satisfactorily defined. We report data on mood, cognition, and quality of life (QoL) in relation to anamnestic factors, health, and socio-economic status in the FRASNET geriatric population (1204 subjects in stable health conditions), which is an observational cohort study that includes fairly balanced groups of Italian frail (421, 35%), pre-frail (449, 37.3%) and robust (334, 27.7%) subjects. A conditional inference tree analysis revealed a substantial influence of psychological variables on frailty. The physical indicator of QoL (Short Form Survey-36-Physical Component Summary, SF-36-PCS) was the predominant variable in the full model (threshold at 39.9, p < 0.001): higher frailty was found in subjects with a caregiver and lower SF-36-PCS. Frailty was also associated with the mental indicator of QoL (Short Form Survey-36-Mental Component Summary, SF-36-MCS), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS-15), leisure activities, and level of education. In support of the prominent role of inflammation in aging and mental illness, the SF-36-PCS score was correlated with the blood concentration of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) (r Pearson -0.355, p = 0.015), a critical signal in cell senescence and inflammaging, while the rs7567647 variant in FN1 gene encoding a glycoprotein in the extracellular matrix was significantly associated with frailty in a multivariable model (p = 0.0006). The perception of health-related QoL and subclinical depression contribute to frailty. Their assessment could improve the identification of older patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes.