Marital Status and Frailty in Older People: Gender Differences in the Progetto Veneto Anziani Longitudinal Study

Marital status has been associated with disability and mortality, but its potential role as a factor influencing frailty has yet to be thoroughly investigated. The analysis of gender-related differences in the relationship between marital status and frailty is another interesting matter that remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to examine the association between marital status and the incidence of frailty in a cohort of older men and women over a 4.4-year follow-up.

A sample of 1887 subjects older than 65 years, enrolled under the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) and with no evidence of frailty at baseline, were grouped by marital status. The incidence of frailty after 4.4 years was measured as the presence of at least three of the Fried criteria.

After the follow-up period, 414 (21.9%) new cases of frailty were identified. Multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that male gender carried a higher risk of developing frailty among men who had never married (odds ratio [OR] = 3.84, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.76-5.35; p < 0.0001) and were widowed (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06-1.95, p = 0.02) than among married participants. For female gender, widows had significantly lower odds of becoming frail than married women (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66-0.91, p = 0.002). The determinants of frailty more influenced by marital status were unintentional weight loss, low daily energy expenditure, and exhaustion.

Marital status seems to significantly influence the onset of frailty, with some gender-specific differences. Unmarried men were at higher risk of frailty, while widowed women carried a lower risk of becoming frail than married women.