Impacts of Negative and Positive Life Events on Development of Social Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of negative and positive life events on the development of social frailty.

Design: Population-based longitudinal study.

Setting and participants: This study was set in the Japanese community cohort and included 2174 adults aged ≥65 years without social frailty at baseline.

Methods: We assessed the experiences of 6 negative and positive life events (increase in economic difficulties, illness or injury of spouse, death of family or friends, marriage of children or grandchildren, birth of grandchildren or great-grandchildren, and making new friends) in the 15 months after baseline. We followed the social frailty status of the participants and identified the development of social frailty 48 months after the baseline. Social frailty was operationally defined as having 2 or more of Makizako's 5 items (going out less frequently, rarely visiting friends, not feeling helpful to friends or family, living alone, and not talking to someone daily).

Results: Among 2174 participants without social frailty at baseline, 161 (7.4%) developed social frailty after 48 months. Multivariate logistic regression models on each life event and development of social frailty showed that illness or injury of spouse was significantly associated with a higher risk of subsequent social frailty [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.74; 95% CI, 1.10-2.74] and making new friends was significantly associated with lower risk of subsequent social frailty (adjusted OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.27-0.54). No significant ORs of social frailty were found for other life events.

Conclusions and implications: Life events in later life have both positive and negative impacts on the development of social frailty, depending on the nature of the event. To prevent social frailty, it may be important to monitor negative life events and promote positive life events in later life.

Keywords: life events; older adults; social frailty.