Associations between lifestyle factors and multidimensional frailty: a cross-sectional study among community-dwelling older people

BMC Geriatrics

Robbert J. J. Gobbens¹  Marcel A. L. M. van Assen²  Judith H. M. Helmink³ 

[1] Faculty of Health, Sports and Social Work, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, De Boelelaan 1109, 1081, Amsterdam, HV, the Netherlands;Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland, Amstelveen, the Netherlands;Department Family Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium;Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands;Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands;GGD Hart voor Brabant, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands;

关键词: older people;    frailty;    lifestyle;    Tilburg Frailty Indicator;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-021-02704-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMultidimensional frailty, including physical, psychological, and social components, is associated to disability, lower quality of life, increased healthcare utilization, and mortality. In order to prevent or delay frailty, more knowledge of its determinants is necessary; one of these determinants is lifestyle. The aim of this study is to determine the association between lifestyle factors smoking, alcohol use, nutrition, physical activity, and multidimensional frailty.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in two samples comprising in total 45,336 Dutch community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years or older. These samples completed a questionnaire including questions about smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, sociodemographic factors (both samples), and nutrition (one sample). Multidimensional frailty was assessed with the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI).ResultsHigher alcohol consumption, physical activity, healthy nutrition, and less smoking were associated with less total, physical, psychological and social frailty after controlling for effects of other lifestyle factors and sociodemographic characteristics of the participants (age, gender, marital status, education, income). Effects of physical activity on total and physical frailty were up to considerable, whereas the effects of other lifestyle factors on frailty were small.ConclusionsThe four lifestyle factors were not only associated with physical frailty but also with psychological and social frailty. The different associations of frailty domains with lifestyle factors emphasize the importance of assessing frailty broadly and thus to pay attention to the multidimensional nature of this concept. The findings offer healthcare professionals starting points for interventions with the purpose to prevent or delay the onset of frailty, so community-dwelling older people have the possibility to aging in place accompanied by a good quality of life.

【 授权许可】

CC BY