Prevalence of Frailty and Mobility Limitation in a Rural Setting in France

The prevalence of frailty is variable according to the adopted operational definition, the tested population, and the setting where it is explored.

To estimate the prevalence of frailty and mobility disability in community-dwelling persons aged 60 years and older.

Cross-sectional analyses.

The rural area of Labastide-Murat (France).

All community-dwelling persons aged 60 years and older living in the area and answering to the study survey (n=572/1022).

The study questionnaire included questions defining mobility disability (as ability to walk 400 meters and climb up 2 flights of stairs) and frailty (according to the FRAIL instrument and a modified version of the original definition proposed by Fried and colleagues).

Mean age of participants was 72.4 years old. Mobility disability was reported by 47 (8.3%) participants. The sedentariness criterion of frailty was the most prevalent in the present population. Overall, according to the FRAIL instrument, 77.6%, 14.0%, and 8.3% could be defined as robust, pre-frail/frail, and disabled, respectively. When the alternative definition of frailty mirroring the definition proposed in the Cardiovascular Health Study was adopted, the prevalence of frailty increased and showed gender-specific differences (p=0.02).

A relevant number of older persons living in rural areas experiences physical impairments and presents an increased risk for major negative health-related events. These results may support the ongoing clinical and research actions aimed at preventing the functional decline in elders.