Eating disorder–related attitudes as predictors of pre-frailty/frailty in older adults: a cross-sectional clinical study

Abstract

Frailty is a prevalent geriatric syndrome influenced by nutritional status, body composition, and functional capacity. Nevertheless, the role of eating disorder–related attitudes and behaviors in older adults is not definitively known. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between frailty and eating disorder–related attitudes and behaviors in older adults. This cross-sectional study included 79 older adults (73.2 ± 6.14 years) attending a geriatric outpatient clinic. Frailty was assessed using the Frailty score, and participants were classified as non-frail or pre-frail/frail. Eating disorder–related attitudes were evaluated using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Anthropometric measurements, body composition assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and handgrip strength were obtained. Spearman correlation and logistic regression analyses were performed. Pre-frail/frail individuals had significantly higher scores for thoughts about body shape and weight compared with non-frail participants ( p = 0.029). Disordered eating behaviors showed positive correlations with visceral fat and body mass index (BMI), while body fat percentage was positively correlated with the frailty score ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that higher total EDE-Q scores were associated with higher odds of frailty risk ( p = 0.036). Eating disorder–related attitudes may be associated with increased frailty risk in older adults, highlighting the potential importance of integrating disordered eating assessments into geriatric evaluation.