Prevalence of frailty indicators and association with socioeconomic status in middle-aged and older adults in a swiss region with universal health insurance coverage: A population-based cross-sectional study

Frailty prevalence in older adults has been reported but is largely unknown in middle-aged adults. we determined the prevalence of frailty indicators among middle-aged and older adults from a general swiss population characterized by universal health insurance coverage and assessed the determinants of frailty with a special focus on socioeconomic status. participants aged 50 and more from the population-based 2006-2010 bus santé study were included (n = 2,930). four frailty indicators (weakness,shrinking,exhaustion,and low activity) were measured according to standard definitions. multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine associations. overall,63.5%,28.7%,and 7.8% participants presented no frailty indicators,one frailty indicator,and two or more frailty indicators,respectively. among middle-aged participants (50-65 years),75.1%,22.2%,and 2.7% presented 0,1,and 2 or more frailty indicators. the number of frailty indicators was positively associated with age,hypertension,and current smoking and negatively associated with male gender,body mass index,waist-to-hip ratio,and serum total cholesterol level. lower income level but not education was associated with higher number of frailty indicators. frailty indicators are frequently encountered in both older and middle-aged adults from the swiss general population. despite universal health insurance coverage,household income is independently associated with frailty. © 2014 idris guessous et al.