Influence of combined cognitive impairment and social frailty on physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of combined cognitive impairment and social frailty on physical frailty. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans, which was collected nationwide from community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Results: Combined cognitive impairment and social frailty (odds ratio (OR) =4.44, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.14–6.28), cognitive impairment and social pre-frailty (OR =2.38, 95% CI =1.70–3.34), noncognitive impairment and social frailty (OR =2.16, 95% CI =1.54–3.04), and noncognitive impairment and social pre-frailty (OR =1.40, 95% CI =1.02–1.91) groups were more likely to be physically frail than noncognitive impairment and socially robust groups after adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors. Conclusion: Healthcare providers need to be aware that older adults who suffer from both cognitive impairment and social frailty may be vulnerable to physical frailty. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.