Social Support, Social Network, and Frailty in Korean Elderly

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The concept of frailty has been extended to include social factors such as poverty and social support networks. The frailty index developed for elderly Canadians was recently examined in terms of the current broader concept of frailty. The present study explored the relationship between social support networks and frailty in Korean elderly individuals aged 65 years or older. METHODS: A total of 1,874 people aged 65 years or older were recruited by judgment sampling of the population of Seocho-gu in Seoul and surveyed in 2011. The Korean Frailty Index, developed by the Korean Geriatric Society, was used as an outcome variable. A proportional odds model was used to evaluate the relationship between social support networks and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty were 7.7% and 25.5%, respectively. A total of 9.9% of older adults lacked a social network, and 13.6% were deficient in social support. Social support networks were associated with frailty. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, marital status, economic status, and education), lack of a social network and support were associated with increased odds of frailty (social network odds ratio 2.15, 95% confidence interval 1.58-2.92; social support odds ratio 2.01, 95% confidence interval 1.54-2.63). CONCLUSION: Consistent with the concept of frailty being broadened to include social factors, frailty among elderly individuals was found to be influenced by social support networks.