The burden of non-disabled frailty and its associated factors among older adults in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to measure the prevalence of non-disabled frailty and its associated factors among Bangladeshi older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted during September and October 2021 among 1,045 Bangladeshi older adults (≥60 years). Telephone interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, were undertaken to collect data on participants’ characteristics and level of frailty. The non-disabled frailty was measured using the ‘Frail Non-Disabled (FiND)’ questionnaire. A multinomial logistic regression model assessed the factors associated with frailty among the participants. RESULTS: Around a quarter of the participants (24.8%) were frail. The multinomial regression analysis showed that older participants aged ≥80 years (RRR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.41–7.37) were more likely to be frail compared to participants aged 60–69 years. Likewise, the participants living in a large family with ≥4 members (RRR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01–1.92) were more likely to be frail compared to those living in smaller families. Also, participants having memory or concentration problems (RRR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.12–2.17) were more likely to be frail compared to those who were not suffering from these problems. Moreover, participants whose family members were non-responsive to their day-to-day assistance (RRR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.06–2.03) were more likely to be frail compared to those whose family members were responsive. Furthermore, participants who were feeling lonely (RRR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.98) were more likely to be frail than their counterparts who were not feeling lonely. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest developing tailored interventions to address the burden of frailty among the older populations in Bangladesh. In particular, providing long-term care and health promotion activities can be of value in preventing frailty and reducing adverse health outcomes among this vulnerable population group.