Prevalence and Potential Predictors of Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Persons in Northern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

Payom Thinuan, Penprapa Siviroj, Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon and Thaworn Lorga
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Payom Thinuan: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Penprapa Siviroj: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Thaworn Lorga: School of Nursing, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of frailty among Thai older persons. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 1806 older persons aged 60 years or older. Frailty was assessed by Fried’s frailty phenotypes, which consists of five criteria, namely, unintended weight loss, exhaustion, slow walking, weak handgrip and decreased physical activity. Older people who met 3 in 5, 1–2 in 5, and none of the criteria were considered frail, pre-frail and non-frail respectively. The prevalence was calculated and multinomial logistic regression was performed. Prevalence rates of frailty, pre-frailty and non-frailty were 13.9% (95% CI 9.9 to 18.8), 50.9% (95% CI 47.5 to 54.1) and 35.1% (95% CI 31.5 to 39.9), respectively. Increasing age, lower education, having no spouse, poorer health perception, increasing number of comorbidities, osteoarthritis and smaller mid-arm circumference increased the risk of frailty ( p < 0.001). The prevalence of geriatric frailty syndrome in this study was much higher than that of developed countries but was lower than that of less developed countries. Factors associated with frailty reflect common characteristics of disadvantaged older persons in Thailand.

Keywords: frailty; prevalence; predictors; community-dwelling; older persons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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