Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Medical and Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Opposite to Rajaee Heart Hospital, Vali-Asr Avenue, Cross of Vali-Asr and Hashemi Rafsanjani Highway, 1996835119, Tehran, Iran.
BMC Geriatr. 2022 Apr 19;22(1):344. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03056-w.
The population of people aged 60 and older is rapidly increasing in developing countries such as Iran due to declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. Old age is associated with increased risk for frailty and reduced dignity. Frailty is a clinical syndrome characterized by depletion of physical reserves and multiple system disorders, reducing the individual's ability to cope with stressful events. Dignity is an inherent characteristic of human beings and respecting dignity is an ethical principle. This study investigated the association of frailty with dignity among older people in Tehran, Iran.
This correlational study was conducted on 200 individuals aged 60 years and older. Data collection relied on the Demographic Questionnaire, Frailty Index for Elders (FIFE) and the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI). Data were analyzed with SPSS 25.
The mean age of the participants was 68 ± 5.05 years; 62% of the participants were at risk for frailty, and 69% had few dignity-related problems. The multiple regression results showed that frailty was significantly associated with dignity (ß = 0.571, p < 0.001). The association was significant across all the dimensions of dignity measured by the PDI. The highest predictors of frailty included dependency (ß = 0.584, p < 0.001), followed by existential distress (ß = 0.560, p < 0.001), symptom distress (ß = 0.400, p = 0.400), social support (ß = 0.391, p < 0.001), and peace of mind (ß = 0.338, p < 0.001) in dignity.
The results show that higher levels of frailty in older people are associated with decreases in their dignity, and frailty was the leading predictor of dignity. Providers should develop programs to prevent and reduce frailty in those at risk and to enhance the dignity of the already frail.
由于出生率下降和预期寿命延长，发展中国家（如伊朗）的 60 岁及以上人口迅速增加。老年人易出现虚弱，尊严受损。虚弱是一种以体力储备消耗和多系统紊乱为特征的临床综合征，降低了个体应对压力事件的能力。尊严是人类固有的特征，尊重尊严是一项道德原则。本研究旨在探讨伊朗德黑兰老年人虚弱与尊严的关系。
这是一项相关性研究，纳入了 200 名 60 岁及以上的老年人。数据收集依赖于人口统计问卷、老年人虚弱指数（FIFE）和患者尊严量表（PDI）。数据使用 SPSS 25 进行分析。
参与者的平均年龄为 68±5.05 岁；62%的参与者有虚弱风险，69%的参与者有轻微的尊严相关问题。多元回归结果显示，虚弱与尊严显著相关（β=0.571，p<0.001）。这种关联在 PDI 测量的所有尊严维度上均显著。虚弱的最强预测因素包括依赖（β=0.584，p<0.001），其次是存在性困扰（β=0.560，p<0.001）、症状困扰（β=0.400，p=0.400）、社会支持（β=0.391，p<0.001）和心境安宁（β=0.338，p<0.001）。
结果表明，老年人虚弱程度越高，尊严越低，虚弱是尊严的主要预测因素。护理人员应制定预防和减少高危人群虚弱的方案，并增强已经虚弱的人群的尊严。
