Unveiling the Frailty Spatial Patterns among Chilean Older Persons: Exploring Sociodemographic and Urbanistic Influences (Preprint)

Abstract

Frailty syndrome increases the vulnerability of older people. The growing proportion of older adults emphasizes the need to enhance the understanding of the factors contributing to the prevalence of frailty. The main objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between various elements of the urban physical environment and the level of frailty syndrome in older people, as assessed by the mean of the Fried Frailty Phenotype criteria tool. A cohort of 300 adults aged 65 years and above from Talca City, Chile, underwent comprehensive medical assessments and were geographically mapped within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database. A spatial analysis of the frailty condition was conducted in conjunction with layers depicting urban physical facilities within the city, including: vegetables and fruits shops, senior centers or communities, pharmacies, emergency health centers, main squares and parks, family or community health centers, and stadiums and sports fields. Frail individuals exhibit geospatial patterns suggesting intentional proximity to health facilities, sports venues, and urban facilities, unveiling associations with adaptive responses to frailty features and socioeconomic factors, highlighting the crucial intersection of urban environments and frailty for geriatric medicine and public health initiatives.