The Relationship Between Frailty and Depression, Quality of Life, Disability, and Hospitalization Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Abstract Background: Frailty syndrome is characterized by a decline in physiological and psychological reserve that leads to poor health outcomes. Objectives: The current study explored frailty and its impacts on health outcomes among older adults in close-knit Jordanian communities. Methods: A secondary analysis (N=109) of community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or over was conducted. The Arabic version of the culturally adapted Tilburg Frailty Indicator, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the SF-36 Quality of Life survey, and disability self-reports were used. Results: Despite Jordanian communities being very close-knit, the results indicated a high prevalence of frailty (78%) and depression (38%) and poor outcomes of cognitive dysfunction and low quality of life among the participating older adults. Further, the prevalence of frailty was found to be 4.2 times higher among females than males and 7.2 times higher among single older adults than married older adults. Conclusion: A high prevalence of frailty and its related adverse outcomes was found among older adults in Jordan.