Prevalence and characteristics of frailty in older adults in Japan: a cross-sectional study using data from the long-term care insurance system.
Kohei Onishi, Akihiro Yakabi, Masahiro Ishizaka and 2 others
PMID 38952459WHAT IT FOUND
Among 393 older adults in Japan needing mild long-term care support, 80.4% were frail.
Frailty was linked to age, living in rural areas, and not having orthopedic issues. The type of care service used did not differ between frail and non-frail groups.
Key findings
0180.4% of the 393 participants were classified as frail based on the Kihon Checklist.
02Frailty was significantly associated with older age, living in a rural area, and the absence of orthopedic disease.
03There was no significant difference in the types or number of preventive long-term care services used between the frail and non-frail groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single community in Japan, so the findings may not generalize to other regions or populations. As a cross-sectional study, it cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships between frailty and the characteristics examined. Participants with missing data, cancer, dementia, or malignant disease were excluded, which may bias the sample towards those with specific health profiles. The 'needing support' certification is a specific administrative category in Japan; results may not apply to those with higher levels of care need or those without any certification.
Declared interests
The study was supported by The Yuumi Memorial Foundation for Home Health Care. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that current preventive long-term care services are effectively targeting frailty. The study found no difference in the types of services used between frail and non-frail groups, suggesting that service provision may not be aligned with frailty status in this population.