Follow-up evaluation of the Fibra Study: sociodemographic, cognitive, and frailty characterization of older adults in Campinas and Ermelino Matarazzo, SP

Abstract

Objective To investigate and compare the sociodemographic, cognitive and frailty profile of participants from the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (Fibra) study regarding follow-up (FW) and baseline (BL) measurements carried out in 2016-2017 and 2008-2009, respectively. Methods A total of 1,284 older adults living in Campinas and Ermelino Matarazzo (SP), Brazil, participated in the BL, comprising a pooled sample. At FW, 549 older adults (42.7%) were interviewed again; 192 had died (14.9%) and 543 were lost to follow-up (42.4%). Sex, age, education, marital status, family income, housing arrangement, cognitive status (Mini-Mental State Examination) and frailty phenotype (score ≥3 out of 5) were evaluated at both timepoints. Intergroup and intragroup differences were verified by Pearson's chi-square and McNemar's tests. Statistical significant level was set at p<0.05 Results The survivors were younger (72.2±5.3 years) than the deceased (75.5±6.8 years) and individuals included in the FW were mostly married, higher educated, cognitively unimpaired and pre-frail. Between BL and FW there was an increase in the number of participants who lived alone (17.1% vs. 22.0%), had no partner (46.4% vs. 55.4%), a family income <3 minimum wages (52.2% vs. 62.2%), cognitive impairment (17.7% vs. 23.5%) and frailty (9.8% vs. 24.5%). Conclusion Between BL and FW there was an increase in the physical, cognitive and social vulnerability of the older adults. These results reinforce the importance of public policies that favor the quality of life of older people and a reduction in health inequities throughout life.

Higher purpose in life and education were associated with better cognition among older adults

“…The informants were the older people themselves or a family member residing in the household. For more details regarding the FIBRA study please see Neri et al 14…”

“…Among the 1,284 participants at baseline, there were 192 deaths and 543 losses due to various reasons (participants not located [57.9%], refusals [3.5%], withdrawal of permission during data collection [5.5%], exclusion due to study criteria [1.6%], and presence of risks to interviewers [0.5%]). 14 A total of 549 older adults underwent assessment of cognitive status, of which 419 scored above the education-adjusted cut-off score for dementia on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and completed the follow-up protocol 14 which included the measures of interest for the present study ( Figure 1 ). The adopted cutoff scores for the MMSE were: 17 points for illiterates, 22 points for 1–4 years of formal study, 24 points for 5–8 years, and 26 points for those with 9 or more.…”

“…For more details regarding the FIBRA study please see Neri et al 14 Among the 1,284 participants at baseline, there were 192 deaths and 543 losses due to various reasons (participants not located [57.9%], refusals [3.5%], withdrawal of permission during data collection [5.5%], exclusion due to study criteria [1.6%], and presence of risks to interviewers [0.5%]). 14 A total of 549 older adults underwent assessment of cognitive status, of which 419 scored above the education-adjusted cut-off score for dementia on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and completed the follow-up protocol 14 which included the measures of interest for the present study (►Figure 1). The adopted cutoff scores for the MMSE were: 17 points for illiterates, 22 points for 1-4 years of formal study, 24 points for 5-8 years, and 26 points for those with 9 or more.…”