The investigation of frailty level and factors affecting frailty in older adults with osteoarthritis; a cross-sectional study on Turkish population

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the fragility level, fall risks and factors affecting both conditions of individuals with OA aged 60 and over living in an underdeveloped province. Methods: The research sample consists of 260 individuals over the age of 60 who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The frailty of the participants was measured. Their functional mobility and risk of falling were measured. Results: The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty was found to be 82%. It was revealed that frailty is not always affected by the severity of osteoarthritis and the progression of age. In addition, it was found that factors such as stage IV osteoarthritis and being frail or pre-frail increase the risk of falling. The stage of osteoartritis, education level, lifestyle, and risk of falling explained 24% of the variance in the frailty variable. Having an unhealthy lifestyle increases frailty 20 times; lowincome level increases frailty eight times; and each increase in education level affects frailty at most four times negatively. Conclusion: Psychological rehabilitation and social support may negatively affect the development of frailty in individuals aged 60 years and older. Frail older women with severe OA are more vulnerable to falls.