Influence of Gender on Perception of Frailty among Elderly

Abstract

Frailty, which is a geriatric syndrome that affects 5% to 17% of older adults, is a state of increased vulnerability across multiple health domains that leads to adverse health outcomes. This review aimed to summarize the influence of gender on the perception of frailty among the elderly, as frailty is one of the most common problems which could be considered a geriatric syndrome. Frail older adults are at increased risk of falls, disability, hospitalizations, and death, many studies have shown that the incidence of frailty is more in elderly women. Women tend to have poorer health status and are frailer, but are more resilient and have longer life expectancy than men. This review found that factors associated with frailty differ by gender, where higher prevalence rates are higher among females and higher mortality in males. Keywords: Frailty, geriatric syndrome, gender differences, robust, prefrail, and frail.