PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF FRAILTY AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

9. Uluslararası 20. Ulusal Hemşirelik Kongresi, Ankara, Türkiye, 14 - 16 Mayıs 2026, ss.253, (Özet Bildiri)

Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
Sayfa Sayıları: ss.253
Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: Frailty is characterized as a condition in which individuals’ susceptibility to stressful conditions and functional decline significantly increase. Because frailty is often not recognized or documented as a diagnostic syndrome, its impact at the population level has not been sufficiently elucidated. This situation necessitates determining the prevalence of frailty and its burden on society. Furthermore, due to the multidimensional nature of frailty, it is important to examine the factors contributing to its development and determine its prevalence across different populations.The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of frailty and associated factors among older adults living in the community. Materials-Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional, analytical, quantitative research. It was carried out between March and April 2026 at the Altınpark Senior Citizens’ Center affiliated with the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, with the participation of 284 elderly individuals aged 65 and older who volunteered to participate, spoke Turkish, and had no physical or cognitive health issues that would prevent them from participating in the study. Data were collected face-to-face using the Demographic Information Form prepared by the researchers and the Edmonton Frailty Scale. Analyses performed SPSS 26.0 software package via Monte Carlo simulation the Pearson chisquare test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression analysis, p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of frailty was determined to be 16.5%. According to the scale classification, statistically significant associations were found between frailty levels and age, educational level, presence of chronic disease, daily medication use, smoking, physical exercise, falls in the past year, and experiencing pain during the day (p<0.05). When evaluated based on the total scale score; individuals aged 75 and older, women, those with an education level below high school, those who perceive their income level as low, those with chronic diseases, those taking three or more medications daily, those who consume alcohol, and those who do not engage in physical exercise, those who had not been vaccinated in the past year, those with a history of falls, and those experiencing pain during the day had significantly higher average frailty scores (p<0.05). According to the results of the multivariate analysis, an increase in the number of daily medications, lack of physical exercise, a history of falls within the past year, the presence of a chronic illness, and a low educational level were identified as independent predictors significantly associated with frailty. These variables account for 34% of the variance in frailty scores. Conclusion: The findings indicate that frailty is closely associated with preventable and manageable risk factors. In light of these results, early identification of frailty in older adults, conducting regular screenings, strengthening chronic disease management, promoting physical activity, and implementing fall prevention strategies are of great importance. These findings may serve as a guide in planning community-based elderly health services. It is believed that the risk of frailty can be reduced and healthy aging supported through education and counseling programs conducted by nurses