Frailty and Nutritional Status among Urban Older Adults in South India

Abstract

<jats:p>The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of frailty and nutritional status among older adults. This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 163 subjects aged 60–88 years, from Hyderabad City, South India. Data were obtained on sociodemographic details and anthropometry and biochemical parameters. Dietary intake was assessed by a three-day 24 h dietary recall, and the probability of adequacy (PA) was calculated using the estimated average requirements. Frailty indicators were as follows: handgrip strength was measured by using a Jamar dynamometer, gait speed was measured by a ten-meter length walk test, and low physical activity level, weight loss, and exhaustion were assessed using a questionnaire. Among the study population, 20% of the participants were frail and 80% were nonfrail. The prevalence of frailty is higher in older (30.1%) than the younger (12.2%) age groups, and it is more so in women (32.4%) than in men (10.1%). The lower educational status and income were associated with frailty. The PA of most of the nutrients was low in the frail group. Noticeably, the mean PA (MPA) across the fourteen micronutrients was significantly higher in nonfrail (38%) compared to the frail group (25%). The prevalence of frailty was higher in the lowest tertile of most of the food groups and nutrient intake compared to the highest tertile. The study revealed a 20% prevalence of frailty among urban older adults and provided evidence that inadequate intake of nutrients is independently associated with frailty.</jats:p>

Relationship between frailty, glycemic control, and nutritional status among the elderly with diabetes mellitus residing in an urban community of Mysuru

“…On the other hand, the prevalence is almost double the one reported by Shalini et al . [ 11 ] in an urban community in South India, where 20% of the elderly were found to be frail. They also reported that female gender and lower educational and socioeconomic status were associated with increased risk of frailty among study subjects similar to the present study.…”

Gender Differences in Determinants of the Components of the Frailty Phenotype among Older Adults in India: Findings from LASI Wave-1

“…For this study, all samples were classified as “frail” if they met 3 or more of the 5 criteria, and below 3 were classified as “non-frail”. A number of research works have validated this modified frailty phenotype scale by using slightly different cut-off points [ 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Frailty Indexed Classification of Bangladeshi Older Adults’ Physio-psychosocial Health and Associated Risk Factors- A Cross-sectional Survey Study

“…Studies are limited on older adult's frailty in South Asia, and the available studies suggest contextual investigation of their frailty and health conditions [4,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Few studies on ageing conducted in Bangladesh reported the importance of preventive and primary healthcare programs for older adults [7,9,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”