Physical Frailty among Urban-Living Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Malaysia

Camilla Wahida Norazman, Siti Nur’Asyura Adznam and Rosita Jamaluddin
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Camilla Wahida Norazman: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
Siti Nur’Asyura Adznam: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
Rosita Jamaluddin: Malaysian Research Institute of Ageing, (MyAgeing) Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome, which is a worldwide concern within the field of geriatrics due to the aggravating effect on the physical and mental functions of the elderly. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of the frailty syndrome among urban-living community-dwelling elderly in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 301 community-dwelling elders. Frailty status was assessed using the Fried phenotype criteria. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (M-GDS-14), whereas the functional abilities and cognitive status were measured using the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Lawton IADL) scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-M), respectively. Malnutrition risk was observed through the abridged version (Short Form) of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the significant predictors of the frailty syndrome. Three hundred and one elderly persons engaged in this study, with a mean age of 67.08 ± 5.536 ranging between 60 to 84 years old. The prevalence values of frailty and pre-frail were 15.9% and 72.8%, respectively, in which women appeared to be at a higher risk of frailty. The multivariate model revealed that frailty could be predicted from an increase in age, lower household income, being at risk of malnutrition, wasting (low skeletal muscle mass), and high serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level. A holistic approach is suggested for managing the frailty syndrome as it involves a decline in the multiple components of the geriatric syndrome.

Keywords: frailty; elderly; ageing; sarcopenia (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 (1)

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