Frailty among Older People during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in The Netherlands

Martine J. Sealy, Fons van der Lucht, Barbara C. van Munster, Wim P. Krijnen, Hans Hobbelen, Hans A. Barf, Evelyn J. Finnema and Harriët Jager-Wittenaar
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Martine J. Sealy: Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Fons van der Lucht: Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Barbara C. van Munster: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Wim P. Krijnen: Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Hans Hobbelen: Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Hans A. Barf: FAITH Research, Petrus Driessenstraat 3, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Evelyn J. Finnema: FAITH Research, Petrus Driessenstraat 3, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
Harriët Jager-Wittenaar: Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, 9714 CA Groningen, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Restrictive measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause problems in the physical, social, and psychological functioning of older people, resulting in increased frailty. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of frailty, to examine differences in perceived COVID-19-related concerns and threats between frail and non-frail people and to identify variables associated with frailty in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Dutch older people aged ? 65 years. We used data from the Lifelines COVID-19 Cohort Study. The Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) was used, with a score ? 4 indicating frailty. Frailty was described per domain (i.e., physical, cognitive, social, and psychological). The association between demographic, health and lifestyle variables and frailty was determined with logistic regression analyses. Frailty was present in 13% of the 11,145 participants that completed the GFI. Most items contributing to a positive frailty score were found within the social domain, in the frail (51%) and the non-frail (59%) persons. For items related to concerns and threats, a significantly higher proportion of frail people reported being worried or feeling threatened. In conclusion, during Corona restrictions, prevalence of frailty was considerable in older people from the Northern Netherlands, with one in eight being frail. Frailty was characterized by social problems and frail people were more often worried and felt threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: frailty; COVID-19 pandemic; Groningen frailty indicator; GFI; COVID-19; older persons; elderly (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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