Social vulnerability, frailty and their association with mortality in older adults living in rural Tanzania

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
• Main Authors: Cooper, Fiona, Lewis, Emma Grace, Urasa, Sarah, Whitton, Louise, Collin, Harry, Coles, Selina, Wood, Greta Karen, Ali, Ali Mohamed, Mdegella, Deborah, Mkodo, Joyce, Zerd, Francis, Dotchin, Catherine, Gray, William K, Walker, Richard W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 06.10.2022
• Subjects: mortality; frailty; sub-Saharan Africa; social vulnerability index
• ISSN: 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glac066

Social vulnerability correlates with frailty and is associated with mortality and disability. However, few studies have investigated this relationship outside of high-income country settings. This study aimed to produce and analyse a culturally-adapted social vulnerability index (SVI) to investigate the relationship between social vulnerability, frailty, and mortality in older adults in Tanzania. A SVI was produced using data from a cohort study investigating frailty in older adults in Tanzania. Variables were selected based on previous SVI studies using the categories established by Andrew et al. from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, and National Population Health Survey. The SVI distribution was examined and compared with a frailty index (FI) produced from the same sample, using mutually exclusive variables. Cox regression survival analysis was used to investigate the association between social vulnerability, frailty and mortality. A stratified-cohort of 235 individuals were included in the study at baseline, with a mean age of 75.2 (SD 11.5). Twenty-six participants died within the follow-up period, with a mean of 503 days (range 405-568) following the initial assessment. The SVI had a median score of 0.47 (IQR 0.23, range 0.14-0.86). Social vulnerability significantly predicted mortality when adjusting for age and gender, but not when also adjusting for frailty. Social vulnerability can be successfully operationalised and culturally adapted in Tanzania. Social vulnerability is associated with mortality in Tanzania, but not independently of frailty.