Evaluation of frailty in people aged 50 years and above in Shanghai / 中华疾病控制杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate frailty in people aged 50 years and above in Shanghai. Methods Cross-sectional data was collected from 2009 to 2010 among people aged 50 and above in Shanghai in the World Health Organization (WHO) study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) wave 1. A frailty index (FI) was constructed as the proportion of deficits in 40 variables. A FI of 0.2 or greater was recognized as approaching a frail state. Results A total of 8 632 participants were included, with average age of 63.3 years. The overall weighted prevalence of frailty was 7.8% (95% CI 5.8-10.4%), the score of FI was 0.08 (95% CI 0.07-0.09), which were both higher among women, elderly people, the divorced (separated/widowed) and individuals with lower levels of education and wealth. In addition, Ageing, insufficient intake of vegetable and fruit and low level of physical activity were significantly associated with frailty and higher FI. Conclusions Our study provides the epidemiological characteristics of frailty in people aged 50 years and older in Shanghai. It highlights the need for targeted preventive approaches and support programs to promote physical, psychological and social health in elderly people.