Cognitive frailty and its association with disability among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC geriatrics Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 189
• Main Authors: Kong, Ling-Lin, Xie, Wen, Dong, Zi-Yan, Liu, Yue-Ting, Zhao, Hui-Min, Fan, Jun-Yao, Qi, Xiao-Jing, Li, Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 26.02.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Age factors in disease; Aged; Analysis; China - epidemiology; Chronic illnesses; Cognition; Cognition disorders; Cognition in old age; Cognitive ability; Cognitive frailty; Cognitive impairment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Frail Elderly - psychology; Frailty; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - epidemiology; Functional disability; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Health aspects; Humans; Independent Living - psychology; Instrumental activities of daily living; Medical care, Cost of; Older people; Physical activity; Physical frailty; Prevention; Risk factors; Womens health; China; Cognitive frailty; Instrumental activities of daily living; Functional disability; Cognitive impairment; Physical frailty
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04773-0

There are a variety of determinants that are key to functional disability of older adults. However, little is known regarding the relationship between cognitive frailty and disability among older people. The aims of this study were to examine the associations between cognitive frailty and its six components with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) functioning in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 313 community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) were recruited from eight community centers in central China. Cognitive frailty was operationalized using the Mini-Mental State Examination for the evaluation of cognitive status and the Fried criteria for the evaluation of physical frailty. The outcome was functional disability assessed by the IADL scale. The association between cognitive frailty, as well as its components, and IADL limitations was identified by conducting binary logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of cognitive frailty was 8.9% in this study. The results showed that cognitive frailty (OR = 22.86) and frailty without cognitive impairment (OR = 8.15) were associated with IADL limitations. Subdimensions of cognitive frailty, exhaustion, weakness, low physical activity and cognitive impairment components were independently associated with IADL limitations. Cognitive frailty was associated with a higher prevalence of disability. Interventions for improving cognitive frailty should be developed to prevent IADL disability among community-dwelling older adults in China.