Educational inequalities in Frailty: what is the role of obesity?

RODRÍGUEZ LÓPEZ, SANTIAGO; MONTERO, PILAR; CARMENATE, MARGARITA

Bilbao

Congreso; XVIII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Antropología Física; 2013

Sociedad Española de Antropología Física (SEAF)

Objectives: To investigate the association between educational level and frailty and whether obesity could explain any possible associations among Spanish adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on 2336 community-dwelling Spanish adults over 50 years-old, participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement of Europe (SHARE). Educational differences in frailty and its association with self-reported Body Mass Index were evaluated through multinomial logistic regression analyses, using the SHARE?s Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI).Results: Compared to men, a larger proportion of women experienced frailty (22.3% vs. 13.3%, respectively). A marked educational gradient in frailty was found among women, where individuals with non-formal and low education showed increased odds of a frailty state than women with higher education, even after adjusting for confounders. Moreover, obesity was related to frailty among women but not in men. Discussion: Our findings suggest an independent effect of both educational background and obesity on frailty among Spanish women.