Prevalence of Frailty in Middle-Aged and Older Community-Dwelling Europeans Living in 10 Countries

Bibliographic Data

ID23365083
AuthorsBrigitte Santos-Eggimann (0000-0001-9115-6147, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine), Philippe Cuénoud (University of Lausanne), Jacques Spagnoli (Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine), Julien Junod (Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine)
Year2009
Volume64A
Issue6
Pages675-681
Publication date2009-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1079-5006 • E-ISSN: 1758-535X
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/gerona/glp012
PMID19276189
PMCIDPMC2800805
OpenAlexW2116041825
LanguageEN
Citations received78
References cited15

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an indicator of health status in old age. Its frequency has been described mainly for North America; comparable data from other countries are lacking. Here we report on the prevalence of frailty in 10 European countries included in a population-based survey. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 18,227 randomly selected community-dwelling individuals 50 years of age and older, enrolled in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2004. Complete data for assessing a frailty phenotype (exhaustion, shrinking, weakness, slowness, and low physical activity) were available for 16,584 participants. Prevalences of frailty and prefrailty were estimated for individuals 50-64 years and 65 years of age and older from each country. The latter group was analyzed further after excluding disabled individuals. We estimated country effects in this subset using multivariate logistic regression models, controlling first for age, gender, and then demographics and education. RESULTS: The proportion of frailty (three to five criteria) or prefrailty (one to two criteria) was higher in southern than in northern Europe. International differences in the prevalences of frailty and prefrailty for 65 years and older group persisted after excluding the disabled. Demographic characteristics did not account for international differences; however, education was associated with frailty. Controlling for education, age and gender diminished the effects of residing in Italy and Spain. CONCLUSIONS: A higher prevalence of frailty in southern countries is consistent with previous findings of a north-south gradient for other health indicators in SHARE. Our data suggest that socioeconomic factors like education contribute to these differences in frailty and prefrailty.

Activities of daily living · Demographics · Environmental health · Logistic regression · Multivariate analysis · Population · Population ageing · Socioeconomic status · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Demography · Frailty in Older Adults · Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes · Medicine · Gerontology