Gender Differences in Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Pre-Frailty in Japanese Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To prevent frailty, it is necessary to focus on pre-frailty and consider preventive interventions that incorporate social aspects. This study aimed to explore socio-demographic associations with pre-frailty, focusing on modifiable social factors among community-dwelling older adults in a rural Japanese city. Methods: We conducted a self-administered survey on social, physical, and mental factors, and basic attributes, in September 2021. Respondents were classified as frail, pre-frail, or healthy according to their The Kihon Checklist scores. Of the 494 valid responses, 93 respondents classified as pre-frail and 110 as healthy were analyzed. The socio-demographic associations with pre-frailty were investigated by multiple logistic regression, and interactions between gender and other factors were examined. Results: The analysis identified that for both genders, no-community participation in middle age (odds ratio [OR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–2.92) was found to be a social factor associated with pre-frailty. Having friends who listen to one’s concerns (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.26–5.10) was a factor for women. Conclusions: This study showed that modifiable social factors associated with pre-frailty were community involvement and being able to share concerns with friends. The findings suggest the need for support that emphasizes social aspects to prevent pre-frailty.