J Korean Med Sci.  2023 Jul;38(29):e157. 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e157.

Trends in Frailty Prevalence Among Older Adults in Korea: A Nationwide Study From 2008 to 2020

• Kang Mg
• Kim OS
• Hoogendijk EO
• Jung HW

• KMID: 2544941
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e157

Abstract

Background
We aimed to evaluate the nationwide trend of the prevalence of frailty in older adults in Korea from 2008 to 2020 to inform future geriatric healthcare policies.
Methods
The study used data of individuals aged 65 years and older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide repeated cross-sectional survey. Frailty was defined using frailty index, classified as non-frail (frailty index ≤ 0.15), pre-frail (0.15 < frailty index ≤ 0.25), or frail (frailty index > 0.25).
Results
The study included 17,784 individuals, with the mean age of 72.4 and mean frailty index of 0.2. The prevalence of frailty in older adults in South Korea decreased significantly from 2008 (41.1%) to 2020 (23.1%). The decrease in the frailty index was observed in all age groups (all P < 0.05). As components of frailty index, we found that certain comorbidities, such as dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, have increased over time, while factors such as chewing difficulty, activity limitation, and smoking, have decreased.
Conclusion
The prevalence of frailty in older adults in South Korea has decreased significantly during the study period. Historical improvements in healthcare access and preventive measures may have contributed to this trend.

Keyword

Frailty; Older Adults; Healthcare; Comorbidities; Korea; Trend; Prevalence

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flow diagram of the study participants.KNHANES = Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

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  Fig. 2 Mean frailty index by year. (A) Total population. (B) Men. (C) Women.

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  Fig. 3 Distribution of frailty status by year.

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  Fig. 4 Trends of individual components of frailty index. (A) Dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. (B) Chewing difficulty, activity limitation, smoking.

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