Center for Human-Caring Nurse Leaders for the Future by Brain Korea 21 (BK 21) Four Project, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea.
College of Nursing and Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 14;18(8):4146. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084146.
Frailty is prevalent in the rural elderly and, as a result, they are vulnerable to serious health problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the multilevel factors affecting frailty among the rural elderly using the ecological model. A total of 386 participants aged 65 years or older from 60 rural areas were included in the study. Frailty was measured using the Cardiovascular Health Study frailty index. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting frailty among the rural elderly. The results show that the levels of prevalence for robust, pre-frailty, and frailty groups were 81 (21%), 216 (56%), and 89 (23%), respectively. As for intrapersonal factors, old age, lower than middle school education, low and moderate levels of physical activity, depressive symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction significantly increased the risk of frailty; however, no interpersonal and community factors were significant in affecting frailty. The findings indicate that individualized strategies to encourage physical activity, prevent depressive symptoms, and preserve cognitive function are needed to prevent frailty in the rural elderly.
虚弱在农村老年人中很普遍，因此他们容易受到严重健康问题的影响。本研究旨在使用生态模型探讨影响农村老年人虚弱的多层次因素。共有 386 名来自 60 个农村地区的 65 岁及以上的参与者被纳入研究。使用心血管健康研究虚弱指数来衡量虚弱程度。采用多水平逻辑回归分析来确定影响农村老年人虚弱的因素。结果表明，强壮、衰弱前期和衰弱组的流行率水平分别为 81%（21%）、216%（56%）和 89%（23%）。就个体因素而言，年龄较大、受教育程度低于中学、低中度身体活动水平、抑郁症状和认知功能障碍显著增加了衰弱的风险；然而，人际和社区因素对衰弱没有显著影响。研究结果表明，需要采取个体化策略鼓励身体活动、预防抑郁症状和保持认知功能，以预防农村老年人的虚弱。
