Factors affecting progression to frailty in community-dwelling older adults during all COVID-19 waves
Australasian Journal on Ageing, cilt.44, sa.2, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 44 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/ajag.70050
- Dergi Adı: Australasian Journal on Ageing
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
- Anahtar Kelimeler: aged, COVID-19, frailty
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Frailty, defined as a reduced capacity to manage stress due to multisystem dysfunction, has a significant impact on quality of life, morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the progression to frailty in community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This prospective observational study included non-frail individuals aged 65 years or older admitted to a geriatric outpatient clinic. Evaluation was conducted before (T0) and after (T1) the pandemic. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine factors associated with progression to frailty. Results: The final sample comprised 139 participants (mean age 74.8 ± 6.2 years, 60% female). The median follow-up time was 53 months (range, 27–60). Thirty-one participants (22%) developed frailty after the pandemic. In the clinical follow-up (T1), a decrease in the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form score was associated with an increased risk of frailty. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, four or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, sufficient physical activity and a Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥27 points were associated with a lower risk of transition to frailty, while polypharmacy and age ≥75 years were associated with an increased risk. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of full vaccination, along with promoting physical activity, mitigating polypharmacy and enhancing cognitive health to prevent the onset of frailty during a viral pandemic.