Fatores associados a fragilidade em pessoas idosas assistidas ambulatorialmente em um serviço público no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: Frailty is defined as a state of physiological vulnerability in which the body is unable to respond to stressors. This clinical condition is associated with adverse outcomes, making the identification of factors associated with frailty important to explain its severity. Objective: To identify the prevalence and possible factors associated with frailty in older adults receiving outpatient care at a public health service in Northeast Brazil. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted by the Study and Intervention Center on Aging (CEIAE) of the School of Nutrition at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), involving older adults from the Nutrition and Geriatrics outpatient clinics of a university hospital. The frailty syndrome was identified in the presence of at least three of the following criteria: unintentional weight loss, weakness (handgrip strength), exhaustion (depression scale), reduced gait speed, and low physical activity level. Covariates included sociodemographic variables (sex, age, education, family income), health data (chronic diseases and medications), lifestyle habits (smoking and alcohol consumption), anthropometric data (body mass index, waist circumference, and calf circumference), and functional capacity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate possible factors associated with frailty. Results: The findings are presented to meet the specific objective of identifying factors associated with frailty in Black and Brown older adults. A total of 126 Black/Brown older adults were evaluated, with a mean age of 72.83 years (± 8.96), the majority being female (75.4%). The prevalence of frailty was 23.0%, and this condition was associated with advanced age (44.8%), cardiovascular disease (24.1%), falls (41.4%), and calf circumference (41.4%). Individuals aged >80 years, with cardiovascular diseases, and reduced functional capacity were more likely to be frail. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of frailty in Black and Brown individuals and observed a greater likelihood of frailty among those with advanced age, cardiovascular disease, and functional decline.