Abstract
Preliminary data suggest that frailty tend to increase with age and is associated with fewer years of formal education. However, it is still unclear whether age and education synergistically act in the definition of frailty. Aim of the study is to evaluate the interaction between age and education in defining frailty in community-dwelling older persons. We considered 911 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 79.5 years) who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Our results showed that education and age interact in the definition of frailty following an exponential-type relationship. Whereas age is a non-modifiable risk factor, much can be done to address the social component of frailty here represented by education. The reported interaction suggests that social interventions might be particularly effective at an older age, paving the way for multidisciplinary interventions beyond the clinical field.
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Conflict of Interest: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical standards: The procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.
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How to cite this article: F. Bellelli, E. Consorti, T.M.K. Hettiarachchige et al. Relationship among Age, Education and Frailty in Older Persons. J Frailty Aging 2023; https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2023.39
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Bellelli, F., Consorti, E., Hettiarachchige, T.M.K. et al. Relationship among Age, Education and Frailty in Older Persons. J Frailty Aging 12, 326–328 (2023). https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2023.39
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2023.39