Background: Frailty syndrome is a predictor of all-cause mortality among older adults living in nursing homes. However, data on the prevalence of frailty among individuals living in nursing homes, particularly in middle-income countries, are limited. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of frailty and identify its associated factors among older adults living in nursing homes in Indonesia.
Methods: This cross-sectional study of older adults living in six nursing homes in Indonesia was conducted between May and December 2019. Data on demographic characteristics, physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly), cognitive status (Abbreviated Mental Test), nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), comorbidity, frailty state (Cardiovascular Health Study criteria), dietary pattern (24-hour food recall), handgrip strength, and gait speed were evaluated. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with frailty.
Results: This study recruited a total of 214 participants with a mean age of 73.68±4.30 years. The prevalence rates of frailty and malnutrition were 46.5% and 58%, respectively. The results showed that physical frailty was associated with malnutrition (odds ratio=4.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.730-10.380).
Conclusion: Frailty was prevalent and strongly associated with malnutrition among older adults living in nursing homes in Indonesia.
Keywords: Frailty syndrome; Nursing home; Older adult.