Prevalence of Frailty and Associated Factors Among Hospitalized Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: Clinical nursing research Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 759 - 766
• Main Authors: Lan, Xiuyan, Yi, Bilan, Chen, Xiaohuan, Jin, Shuang, Chen, Qiuhua, Wang, Zijuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-05-2023; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Chi-square test; Cross-Sectional Studies; Frail; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Frailty - epidemiology; Geriatric Assessment; Hospitalization; Hospitalized; Humans; Independent Living; Mental depression; Older people; Prevalence; Sleep; Statistical analysis; hospitalized; older adults; frailty; depression; sleep quality
• ISSN: 1054-7738; 1552-3799
• DOI: 10.1177/10547738221082218

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of frailty and associated factors among hospitalized older adults. It consisted of 184 hospitalized older adults recruited between October 2019 to January 2020. We used the FRAIL scale, Geriatric Depression Scale–15, and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index to collect data. Descriptive statistics, independent group t-test, Chi-square (χ2) tests, and logistic regression were applied to statistical analysis. It found that the prevalence of frailty among hospitalized older adults was 39.7%. Depression (Mild: OR = 5.312, 95% CI [2.384–11.833]; Moderate: OR = 6.630, 95% CI [2.077–21.160]) and low activities of daily living (ADL) (Slight dependence: OR = 5.667, 95% CI [1.308–24.557]; Moderate dependence: OR = 15.188, 95% CI [3.342–69.016]; Severe dependence: OR = 5.872, 95% CI [2.645–13.038]) were independent predictors of frailty. Future studies on the interventions to reduce depression, improve ADL and delay the progression of frailty are encouraged. We should focus more on ADL, emotional and psychological state of hospitalized older adults to prevent frailty.