Evaluation of frailty status among older people living in urban communities by Edmonton Frail Scale in Wuhu, China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies that have explored the factors that are associated with frailty among older people in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frailty status of older people living in urban communities and to examine the sociodemographic factors that are associated with their frailty status in China.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

METHODS: We used convenience sampling to recruit the participants (aged 60 and above) from four communities in an urban area of Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. Participants completed a questionnaire which included the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) and sociodemographic factors. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and frailty status among older Chinese people.

RESULTS: Of 306 participants, the percentage of participants with a robust score (0-4) on the EFS was 71.9%, 14.1% had an apparently vulnerable score (5-6), and 14.0% had a frail score (7-17). Among all participants, 64.4% had adequate social support and 54.9% self-reported having a good health status. Age, chronic disease status and marital status were significantly associated with frailty. However, no significant associations were observed according to gender, education level, smoking, alcohol drinking and medication use.

CONCLUSIONS: There are high percentage of frail older Chinese adults in urban area. The present study findings could provide better understanding of the factors associated with frailty status of this population. Early screening for frailty using a simple scale such as the Edmonton Frail Scale should be undertaken in health settings in China. Impact statement: Nurses should be encouraged to undertake early screening for frailty using the EFS in clinical practice in China.