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The impact of low back pain and disability on frailty levels in older women: longitudinal data from the BACE-Brazil cohort

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Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

To verify longitudinal the association between low back pain intensity and the level of disability in relation to the transition between levels of frailty in older women.

AbstractSection Findings

Follow-up at 6 and 12 months was associated with changes to worse frailty levels. Elderly women who had more severe pain and greater disability were more susceptible to transition to pre-frailty and frailty levels.

AbstractSection Message

This study reinforces the importance of evaluating and addressing the frailty syndrome in elderly women with low back pain in clinical settings.

Abstract

Methods

This is a longitudinal observational study with a convenience subsample from the international Back Complaints in the Elders (BACE)-Brazil. Frailty was assessed by researchers at baseline, 6 and 12 months according to the Frailty Phenotype. Pain was assessed using a Numerical Pain Scale (NPS). Disability was assessed using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.

Results

A total of 155 older women (70.4 ± 5.4 years) participated. Follow-up for 6 and 12 months in this study was associated with a change of older women to worse frailty levels (OR = 2.83, 95% CI 1.98–4.67; p < 0.01). A significant association was observed between greater pain intensity and the transition of the older women through the frailty levels (β = − 0.73; p < 0.01) when inserting the pain variable at baseline of the statistical model. Older women who reported greater pain intensity worsened their frailty level. The same happened when the disability variable was inserted in the model (β = − 0.74; p < 0.01). The criteria proposed by Fried et al. were able to identify frailty throughout the follow-up and no prevalence of any item.

Conclusions

In older women, relevant factors such as pain and disability are closely linked to the frailty phenomenon. Thus, the frailty syndrome must be assessed, monitored and treated in relation to the individualities of older adults, as those with back pain and greater disabilities are more susceptible to frailty.

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Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work. No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. No funding was received for conducting this study. No funds, grants, or other support was received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 Campus, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP 31270-901, Brazil

    Vitor Tigre Martins Rocha, Bárbara Zille de Queiroz, Renata Antunes Lopes, Juliano Bergamaschine Mata Diz, Daniele Sirineu Pereira & Leani Souza Máximo Pereira

  2. Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Alameda Ezequiel Dias, 275-Centro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-110, Brazil

    Amanda Aparecida Oliveira Leopoldino

  3. Postgraduate Program of Collective Health, Department of Collective Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Avenida Eugênio do Nascimento, S/N, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36038-330, Brazil

    Silvia Lanziotti Azevedo da Silva

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  1. Vitor Tigre Martins Rocha
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  2. Amanda Aparecida Oliveira Leopoldino
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Correspondence to Vitor Tigre Martins Rocha.

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Rocha, V.T.M., Leopoldino, A.A.O., de Queiroz, B.Z. et al. The impact of low back pain and disability on frailty levels in older women: longitudinal data from the BACE-Brazil cohort. Eur Geriatr Med 14, 181–189 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-022-00733-2

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