A Review of Frailty in Developing Countries

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Global population aging is increasing the prevalence and clinical significance of frailty.
• Limited research exists on frailty within developing nations.
• This study addresses the gap by reviewing frailty's prevalence, definitions, and associated factors in developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing evidence on frailty prevalence in developing countries.
• To examine the various definitions and criteria used to identify frailty.
• To identify factors associated with frailty in these regions.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a comprehensive literature search using MEDLINE and EMBASE.
• Utilized keywords including "frailty", "prevalence", "developing country", and specific low-to-middle income country names.
• Included studies classified by the World Bank.

Main Results:

• Reviewed 14 articles from Brazil, China, Mexico, Russia, India, and Peru.
• Fried's phenotype was the predominant definition of frailty.
• Reported frailty prevalence varied widely: 17%-31% (Brazil, community), 15% (Mexico, community), 5%-31% (China, community), 21%-44% (Russia, community), 49% (Brazil, institutionalized), 32% (India, hospitalized), 55%-71% (Brazil, outpatient), 28% (Peru, outpatient).
• Frailty correlated with increased mortality, comorbidities, reduced physical/cognitive function, and poorer health perception.

Conclusions:

• Available evidence indicates frailty is common among older adults in developing countries.
• Frailty is linked to adverse health outcomes.
• Findings have significant implications for healthcare policy and service provision for aging populations in developing regions.