The prevalence of cognitive frailty and pre-frailty among older people in Bangkok metropolitan area: a multicenter study of hospital-based outpatient clinics

Original Article

J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls 2020 Sep; 5(3):62-71 Copied!

10.22540/JFSF-05-062 Copied!

Panuwat Wongtrakulruang¹, Weerasak Muangpaisan², Bubpha Panpradup³, Aree Tawatwattananun⁴, Monchai Siribamrungwong⁵, Sasinapha Tomongkon⁶

Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Department of Nursing, Lerdsin Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
Department of Nursing, Krathum Baen Hospital, Samut Sakhon, Thailand
Department of Internal Medicine, Lerdsin Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
Department of Internal Medicine, Krathum Baen Hospital, Samut Sakhon, Thailand

Keywords:

Abstract

Objectives

To identify the prevalence of, and factors associated with, cognitive frailty and prefrailty, and to investigate correlation between frailty tools.

Methods

One hundred and ninety five older adults were recruited from the medical outpatient clinics of 3 tertiary hospitals in Bangkok metropolitan region. The data collected were demographic information, lifestyle factors, functional status, mood assessment, and cognitive and frailty assessments. The frailty tools used were Frailty Phenotype and FRAIL scale.

Results

The prevalence of pre-frailty, frailty, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), cognitive pre-frailty and cognitive frailty was 57.4%, 15.9%, 26.2%, 14.4% and 6.7%, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed that age ≥70 years (OR 5.34; 95% CI 2.06-12.63), and education at primary school or under (OR 4.18; 95% CI 1.61-10.82) were associated with cognitive frailty and cognitive pre-frailty. The correlation between physical frailty rated by the Modified Fried Frailty Phenotype and the FRAIL scale was good (Kappa coefficient = 0.741).

Conclusions

The prevalence of cognitive frailty is not uncommon which requires screening and interventions. Age and a low educational level were related to cognitive frailty/prefrailty. The FRAIL scale yielded a high correlation with Frailty phenotypes, implying its benefit in routine clinical use in primary care practice, where there is limited time and resources.