2023 Volume 2 Pages 9-20
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the factors associated with changes in frailty status over time among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 countermeasures.
Methods: A prospective cohort study every 6 months was conducted. The baseline data were collected from May to July 2020. The second and third surveys were conducted 6 and 12 months later, respectively. A total of 1,217 community-dwelling older adults who returned their baseline survey forms were included. The survey forms were distributed to and returned by mail. They included the frailty screening index for the assessment of frailty, questionnaire for medical checkup of old-old to evaluate health conditions, and questionnaire to evaluate changes related to lifestyle and physical or psychological conditions. At baseline, the participants were divided into non-frailty or frailty groups based on assessment using the frailty screening index.
Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis using frailty status over time as the dependent variable revealed that in the non-frailty group, subjective leg muscle strength (odds ratio [OR] 3.35) was significantly correlated with frailty status at the 6-month follow-up and occasional choking (OR 1.68) and smoking habits (OR 2.48) were significantly correlated at the 12-month follow-up. In the frailty group, falls (OR 31.98) and opportunities of talking to people (OR 2.84) were correlated with frailty status at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, respectively.
Conclusion: The factors associated with changes in frailty status over time were subjective leg muscle strength, choking, smoking habits, falls, and opportunities of talking to people.
