Chiharu Uno1,2, Kiwako Okada3, Eiji Matsushita3, Shosuke Satake4,5, Masafumi Kuzuya6,7. 1. School of Nutritional Sciences, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, 57 Takenoyama, Iwasaki-cho, Nisshin, Aichi, 470-0196, Japan. chiharu83724@gmail.com. 2. Institution of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, NIC, Chikusa Ward, Furocho, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan. chiharu83724@gmail.com. 3. School of Nutritional Sciences, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, 57 Takenoyama, Iwasaki-cho, Nisshin, Aichi, 470-0196, Japan. 4. Section of Frailty Prevention, Department of Frailty Research, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 7-430 Morioka-cho, Obu, Aichi, 474-8511, Japan. 5. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 7-430 Morioka-cho, Obu, Aichi, 474-8511, Japan. 6. Institution of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, NIC, Chikusa Ward, Furocho, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan. 7. Department of Community Healthcare and Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8560, Japan.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Social factors are often overlooked when considering physical frailty. The purpose of this study was to determine whether social isolation is associated with new onset of physical frailty among healthy Japanese older adults. METHODS: This was a 1-year prospective cohort study conducted in Japan from August 2014 to August 2015. The participants were 229 Japanese older people (106 men, 123 women, mean age = 69.3 ± 4.2 years) who did not have prefrailty or frailty at baseline and who were current students or graduates of a community college for older people in Japan. Social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 in terms of overall social isolation, family-related social isolation, and friendship-related social isolation. Frailty was categorized using the Fried frailty criteria. The association between new onset of physical frailty and baseline characteristics, including social isolation, was investigated. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, 180 (78.6%) of the participants remained robust, while 49 (21.4%) were identified as prefrail; no participants were identified as frail. Prefrailty was only associated with friendship-related social isolation (odds ratio: 4.58, 95% confidence interval 2.11-9.92, P < 0.001) at baseline. No significant associations were observed for any other baseline characteristics, including overall social isolation, family-related social isolation, comorbidities, body composition, and physical function. CONCLUSION: Older adults with friendship-related social isolation are four times more likely to develop prefrailty from robust during the 1-year follow-up. The results suggest that friendship-related social isolation increases the risk of healthy older adults transitioning from robust to prefrail.
PURPOSE: Social factors are often overlooked when considering physical frailty. The purpose of this study was to determine whether social isolation is associated with new onset of physical frailty among healthy Japanese older adults. METHODS: This was a 1-year prospective cohort study conducted in Japan from August 2014 to August 2015. The participants were 229 Japanese older people (106 men, 123 women, mean age = 69.3 ± 4.2 years) who did not have prefrailty or frailty at baseline and who were current students or graduates of a community college for older people in Japan. Social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 in terms of overall social isolation, family-related social isolation, and friendship-related social isolation. Frailty was categorized using the Fried frailty criteria. The association between new onset of physical frailty and baseline characteristics, including social isolation, was investigated. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, 180 (78.6%) of the participants remained robust, while 49 (21.4%) were identified as prefrail; no participants were identified as frail. Prefrailty was only associated with friendship-related social isolation (odds ratio: 4.58, 95% confidence interval 2.11-9.92, P < 0.001) at baseline. No significant associations were observed for any other baseline characteristics, including overall social isolation, family-related social isolation, comorbidities, body composition, and physical function. CONCLUSION: Older adults with friendship-related social isolation are four times more likely to develop prefrailty from robust during the 1-year follow-up. The results suggest that friendship-related social isolation increases the risk of healthy older adults transitioning from robust to prefrail.
Entities:
Keywords:
Exhaustion; Frailty; Older people; Physical activity; Social isolation