Background: Frailty is an age-related decline in function and reserve in one or more physiological systems, which increases the risk of poor health outcomes, hospitalization, and death. Although frailty has been well studied in developed countries, little is known about the state of frailty research in Arabic-speaking countries (ASCs). Thus, to understand the depth of information and address this gap in the literature about frailty, we conducted a scoping review to map and synthesize the literature on “frailty research" conducted in ASCs.
Method: The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was used to identify relevant publications. In brief, six databases were searched for key words frailty, frail, vulnerable, older adults, frailty measurement, and Arab countries.
Results: Arabic journals did not yield any relevant articles. Only 27 articles from non-Arabic sources met inclusion criteria, suggesting that frailty research is limited in ASCs. The review showed that the prevalence of frailty varied across different settings (e.g. community, long-term care, and hospitals), with the highest prevalence observed among older adults in hospital settings. Frailty was associated with older age and female sex. Furthermore, it was associated with several chronic medical conditions and contributing lifestyle factors. Based on the articles reviewed, there was no consensus on specific tool used to assess frailty or specific interventions.
Conclusion: Overall, this review indicates that frailty is a significant issue in ASCs, and more research needs to be done to investigate both how to best identify frailty and how to manage those individuals who are frail.