Prevalence of frailty in the different regions of Chile: A cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Survey 2016-2017

Frailty is an increasingly frequent geriatric syndrome in the population; however, its regional prevalence in Chile has not been quantified. Aim: To determine the prevalence of frailty according to Chile's regions, using the Frailty Index (IF). Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from 3,036 participants with 40 or more years of the National Health Survey 2016-17 were used. For the measurement of frailty, we created a 49-item IF, and everyone was given a score from 0 to 1. Based on the score obtained, we categorized the participants as: << robust >>, << pre-frail >>, and << frail >>. The prevalence was calculated and divided according to geographical areas (North, Center, and South), considering the 15 regions of Chile in force as of 2016. Results: At the national level, the prevalence of robust, pre-frail, and frail individuals was 47,6%, 40,6%, and 11,8%, respectively. 15,9% were women and 7,4% men; 18,9% of the sample had less than eight years of education. The Libertador General Bernardo O > Higgins Region showed a higher prevalence of frailty (18,3%), followed by the Maule Region (16,7%), which also had a higher prevalence of pre-frailty (49,6%). The Tarapaca Region presented a higher prevalence of robust people (64,6%). Conclusions: The prevalence of frail individuals was higher in the central zone of Chile, it increased as age increased, and it was higher in women with a lower educational level.