Frailty among a group of the elderly people in Morocco: prevalence and associated factors

Introduction: frailty is a common syndrome among elderly people, but has not been fully studied in Morocco. We aimed to identify frailty in a group of non-institutionalized elderly people aged 60 and over in Morocco and to estimate its prevalence. Additionally, we sought to identify the factors associated with frailty in this specific population. Methods: this multicentric cross-sectional study involved 883 participants aged 60 years and over, distributed across three regions of Morocco, conducted between February and July 2023. To assess frailty, we relied on Fried's phenotype criteria, including involuntary weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slow walking speed, and muscle weakness. Additionally, we examined participants' sociodemographic characteristics, health profiles, as well as their ability to perform activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Results: according to the Fried phenotype criteria, the prevalence of frailty was 35.2%, pre-frailty was 35.8%, and 29% of the elderly were robust. Frailty and pre-frailty were higher in women than in men. Multivariate analyses showed that frailty was associated with age, place of residence, subjective health, as well as activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Conclusion: the high prevalence of frailty in this study underscores the urgent need to develop targeted interventions aimed at preventing or delaying its progression among elderly people. By doing so, we can improve their quality of life while also alleviating the strain on healthcare systems.