Determinants of Frailty and Gait Speed in People Over 65 Years of Age

Objective: Several factors in our life process may directly contribute to frailty or are associated with diseases that can lead to frailty. In this study, we aimed to determine the factors and life events that contribute to frailty and affect gait speed using several tests.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients aged 65 and above. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), the timed up and go (TUG) test, and the gait speed (GS) test were used. Independent determinants for different types of frailty and TUG and GS scores were examined using multivariate logistic and linear regression models.
Results: There were 263 individuals included in this study. The mean age of the individuals was 72.53±5.83 years old, and 46% of the individuals (n=121) were frailty. The total frailty score of the participants was 4.59±3.10, the mean TUG score was 10.28±3.11 s, and the GS score was 0.80±0.30 m/s. Female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=5.3), middle and bad health perception (aOR=6.8, aOR=58.3), poor living environment satisfaction (aOR=14.3), and TUG test score (aOR=1.6) were significantly associated with an increase in risk for frailty.
Conclusion: In this study, as we have found that factors such as sex, health perception, and gait speed affect frailty and factors such as age, polypharmacy, and frailty affect gait speed; the quality of life of the elderly can be improved with suitable intervention for these factors.