Frailty and Mortality Among Chinese at Advanced Ages

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2009-03, Vol.64B (2), p.279-289
• Main Authors: Gu, Danan, Dupre, Matthew E., Sautter, Jessica, Zhu, Haiyan, Liu, Yuzhi, Yi, Zeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living - classification; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; China; Chronic Disease - ethnology; Chronic Disease - mortality; Data collection; Developing Countries; Disability Evaluation; Economic Conditions; Ethnicity; Female; Frail Elderly - statistics & numerical data; Frailty; Hazards; Health care; Health initiatives; Health Policy; Humans; Industrialized nations; Intervention; Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences; LDCs; Longevity; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mortality; Mortality Rates; Older people; Peoples Republic of China; Postponement; Prevention; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk; Risk factors; Sex Factors; Social Environment; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress; Studies; Survival Analysis
• ISSN: 1079-5014; 1758-5368
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbn009

Objectives This study investigates the factors associated with frailty and the association of frailty with mortality in a national sample of adults aged 65-109 in China. Methods Using the 2002 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, we construct a frailty index (FI) based on 39 measures available in the data set. We use ordinal logistic regressions to examine the factors associated with the FI and use Weibull hazard regression to examine the association between frailty and 3-year mortality from 2002 to 2005. Results Age, sex, ethnicity, urban-rural residence, economic condition, religious involvement, and daily exercise are significantly associated with levels of frailty. Hazard analyses further reveal that the FI is a robust predictor of mortality at advanced ages and that the relationship between frailty and mortality is independent of various covariates. Discussion The measurement and analysis of frailty have broad implications for public health initiatives designed to target individuals with the diminished capacity to effectively compensate for external stressors and to prevent further declines associated with aging and mortality. A key to healthy longevity is the prevention, postponement, and potential recovery from physical and cognitive deficits at advanced ages through enhanced medical interventions and treatments.