Assessing the Impact of Frailty on Fall Risk in Older Adults: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and the risk of falls among older adults in Saudi Arabia. This study was a cross-sectional design including 395 participants aged 60 years and older living in the community. Frailty status was determined using the Arabic version of the fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness, loss of weigh (FRAIL) scale. Falls were measured in terms of the occurrence of falls and the number of falls in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between frailty and falls or recurrent falls, adjusting for potential confounding variables such as age, sex, and number of chronic conditions. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. Generalized linear model with binary logistic regression was used after adjustments for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Falls (falls in the last 12 months) were associated with the risk of being pre-frail and frail compared with non-frail individuals [OR 2.33 (95% CI 1.44-3.79); P < 0.001 and OR 5.37 (95% CI 2.85-10.01); P < 0.001, respectively]. Adjusted model shows that having a recurrent fall is 2.9 times higher in pre-frail older adults and 4.9 times higher in frail older adults compared to non-frail older adults. In conclusion, our research sheds light on the association between frailty and falls, as well as recurrent falls, in community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia. This emphasizes the importance of specific fall prevention strategies that are tailored to the unique characteristics and challenges of frail older individuals. These findings have important implications for healthcare practitioners, lawmakers, and researchers working to improve the well-being and quality of life of older adults in Saudi Arabia.