Risk Factors for Frailty in Iranian Older Adult Outpatients: a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Investigate the risk factors for frailty in Iranian older adult outpatients. In this cross-sectional study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 364 outpatients aged 60≥ at a geriatric clinic and health centers. The study included an assessment of demographic characteristics, polypharmacy, Fried Frailty Index, and various parameters from the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), including Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), Body Mass Index (BMI), Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Assessment of other geriatric syndromes involved eye and hearing impairments, incontinency, pain, sleep disorders, fall, and vertigo. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS ver.27.0. A notable correlation was observed between sex, physical dependency, depression, polypharmacy, and BMI with frailty. Several geriatric syndromes including pain, incontinency, eye-impairments, vertigo, falls, and sleep disorders were found to be linked with frailty. The older adults with polypharmacy, hearing-impairment, incontinency, depression, dementia, and pain were shown to have a higher likelihood of developing frailty. Among the Fried Frailty indicators, low grip strength and weight loss in male, slow walking speed in female, and exhaustion in both gender exhibited a significant association with age. The older adults with pain had a 4.39 times higher risk of frailty compared to those without pain (p < 0.001, 95% CI = 2.31-8.36). This study found that frailty was associated with sex, physical dependency, depression, polypharmacy, obesity, and various geriatric syndromes including pain, vertigo, incontinency, falls, sleep disorders, eye and hearing impairment, and polypharmacy in older outpatients.