The Relationship Between Frailty Syndrome and Geriatric Anxiety in Hospitalized Older Adults

Introduction: Aging leads to declines in both physical and mental performance, resulting in major disorders such as frailty syndrome and anxiety. This study aimed to explore the relationship between frailty syndrome and anxiety among older adults hospitalized in educational hospitals in Ilam City in 2024. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 240 older adults at educational hospitals in Ilam from May to July 2024. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires, the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Groningen Frailty Index (GFI), and the Geriatric Anxiety Index (GAI). Data analysis was performed using SPSS V.16, applying Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, simple linear regression, and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) at a 5% significance level. Results: The participants had a mean age of 72.44 ± 5.19 years, with GFI and GAI scores of 11.04 ± 2.68 and 15.58 ± 2.55, respectively. Significant relationships were found between literacy level and reasons for hospitalization with the GFI, and marital status and daily care needs with the GAI. A significant positive relationship was observed between the physical dimension of the GFI and mild to moderate anxiety, the social dimension and severe to total anxiety, the psychological dimension and susceptibility to anxiety, and the total GFI score with severe and total anxiety. Conclusion: The study found that the physical, cognitive, and psychological dimensions of the GFI were related to varying levels of GAI, with specific correlations between the GAI and the social dimension of the GFI.