Association of frailty and disability in community dwelling older adults: a cross sectional study

Frailty is one of the independent predictors of disability. There is a large shift in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia toward improving health care system due to the increasing older adult population. Limited research has explained the relationship between frailty status and disability in Saudi older adults. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between physical frailty and disability using a cross-sectional design study. A total of 324 participants aged 50 years or older were recruited in the study; participants diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or severe cognitive or physical impairment were excluded from the study. All participants underwent a physical examination procedure and completed structured questionnaires. Frailty status was determined using the FRAIL scale. Disability was categorized using the Activities of Daily Living scale. Samples were categorized based on frailty status (Frail, Pre-frail, and No-Frail) using the FRAIL scale. The sample’s mean age was 65.7 years, with females (71.7%) having a higher prevalence of disability than males (28.4%). Participants with two or more chronic conditions had a higher prevalence of disability (62.4%). The fully adjusted model shows that pre-frail (OR: 2.62; 95% CI [1.44, 4.97], p = 0.002) and frail (OR: 4.05; 95% CI [1.69, 9.65], p = 0.002) groups were significantly associated with having disability compared to robust group after adjustments for age, sex, BMI, and number of chronic conditions. This study provided a foundation for disability projects in Saudi Arabia to promote the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between frailty and disability for the Saudi community.