Gray William K, Orega Golda, Kisoli Aloyce, Rogathi Jane, Paddick Stella-Maria, Longdon Anna R, Walker Richard W, Dewhurst Felicity, Dewhurst Matthew, Chaote Paul, Dotchin Catherine
a Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust , North Tyneside General Hospital , North Shields , UK.
b Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre , Moshi , Tanzania.
Exp Aging Res. 2017 May-Jun;43(3):257-273. doi: 10.1080/0361073X.2017.1298957.
Background/Study Context: Interest in frailty is growing in low- and middle-income countries, due to demographic aging and resource limitations. However, there is a paucity of data on the nature of frailty in Africa.
The study collected frailty data from people aged 70 years and over living in six villages in the rural Hai District of northern Tanzania. At baseline, a limited data set was collected for 1198 people and a more comprehensive data set for a stratified sample of 296 people. A 40-item frailty index was constructed. Data regarding mortality and dependency were collected at 3-year follow-up.
A higher frailty index score was significantly correlated with greater age, never having attended school, falls, mortality, and dependency in activities of daily living. Logistic regression modeling revealed functional disability and cognitive function to be significant independent predictors of the outcome "mortality or dependency."
In resource-poor settings, brief frailty screening assessments may be a useful way of identifying those most in need of support.
背景/研究背景：由于人口老龄化和资源限制，低收入和中等收入国家对衰弱的关注度日益增加。然而，非洲关于衰弱本质的数据却很匮乏。
该研究从坦桑尼亚北部农村海地区六个村庄70岁及以上的人群中收集衰弱数据。在基线时，为1198人收集了有限的数据集，并为296人的分层样本收集了更全面的数据集。构建了一个包含40个项目的衰弱指数。在3年随访时收集了有关死亡率和依赖情况的数据。
较高的衰弱指数得分与更高的年龄、从未上学、跌倒、死亡率以及日常生活活动中的依赖显著相关。逻辑回归模型显示功能残疾和认知功能是“死亡或依赖”这一结果的重要独立预测因素。
在资源匮乏的环境中，简短的衰弱筛查评估可能是识别最需要支持人群的有用方法。
