Frailty and Associated Factors Among Older Adults With Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Latent Profile Analysis

Purpose: To identify frailty subgroups and associated factors in older adults with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Older adults (≥60 years) with PSCI confirmed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were recruited via an online survey. Frailty, social participation, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) Questionnaire, and the 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5). Latent profile analysis was used to identify frailty subgroups; multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine associated factors. Findings: Three subgroups were identified: high (46.15%), moderate (41.54%), and low frailty (12.31%). Significant intergroup differences existed in sociodemographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, and psychosocial factors. Logistic regression indicated that depression (odds ratio [ OR ]=5.722, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.414–9.588) and chronic disease burden ( OR =4.370, 95% CI: 1.166–16.372) were positively associated with frailty severity. Conversely, regular physical exercise ( OR =0.157, 95% CI: 0.058–0.430) and social participation ( OR =0.863, 95% CI: 0.795–0.936) were negatively associated with high frailty. Clinical Relevance: Identifying distinct frailty profiles allows nurses to develop targeted rehabilitation programs. Conclusion: Distinct frailty subgroups exist in older adults with PSCI. Tailored nursing interventions targeting modifiable associated factors are essential for this population.