Olga Theou|Thomas D. Brothers|Michael R. H. Rockwood|David Haardt|Arnold Mitnitski|Kenneth Rockwood
Exploring the relationship between national economic indicators and relative fitness and frailty in middle-aged and older Europeans
Dalhousie University
background individual level lowerincome associated disability morbidity death population level relationship economic indicators health unclear objective purpose study evaluate relative fitness frailty relation national income healthcare spending relationship mortality design setting secondary analysis data survey health ageing retirement europe share longitudinal populationbased survey began 2004 subjects total 36306 communitydwelling people aged 50 older 16467 men 19839 women 15 countries participated share comprised study sample frailty index constructed proportion deficits present relation 70 deficits available share characteristics frailty index examined mean prevalence frailty proportion fittest group results mean value frailty index lower higherincome countries 016 012 lowerincome countries 020 014 overall mean frailty index negatively correlated gross domestic product r 079 p 001 health expenditure r 063 p 005 survival nonfrail participants 24 months associated national income p 019 whereas survival frail people greater higherincome countries p 005 conclusions countrys level frailty fitness adults aged 50 years strongly correlated national economic indicators higherincome countries prevalence frailty lower frail people also live longer