151. Explaining the association between educational level and frailty in older adults: results from a 13-year longitudinal study in the Netherlands.
- Author
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Hoogendijk EO, van Hout HP, Heymans MW, van der Horst HE, Frijters DH, Broese van Groenou MI, Deeg DJ, and Huisman M
- Subjects
- Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Cognition Disorders diagnosis, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Frail Elderly psychology, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands epidemiology, Population Surveillance, Prevalence, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Self Efficacy, Social Class, Aging psychology, Cognition Disorders epidemiology, Educational Status, Frail Elderly statistics & numerical data, Geriatric Assessment statistics & numerical data, Health Status
- Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between educational level and frailty prevalence in older adults and to investigate the role of material, biomedical, behavioral, social, and mental factors in explaining this association., Methods: Data over a period of 13 years were used from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. The study sample consisted of older adults aged 65 years and above at baseline (n = 1205). Frailty was assessed using Fried's frailty criteria. A relative index of inequality was calculated for the level of education. Longitudinal logistic regression analyses based on multilevel modeling were performed., Results: Older adults with a low educational level had higher odds of being frail compared with those with a high educational level (relative index of inequality odds ratio, 2.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.84-4.71). These differences persisted during 13 years of follow-up. Adjustment for all explanatory factors reduced the effect of educational level on frailty by 76%. Income, self-efficacy, cognitive impairment, obesity, and number of chronic diseases had the largest individual contribution in reducing the effect. Social factors had no substantial contribution., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for a multidimensional approach in developing interventions aimed at reducing frailty, especially in lower educated groups., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2014
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