Factors influencing frailty in older persons with vision impairment visiting the outpatient department: a cross-sectional study

Frailty is recognized as a major geriatric syndrome and an important public health concern in ageing populations. Older adults with vision impairment may be particularly vulnerable because sensory impairment can compromise adaptive capacity, functional independence, and resilience to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the associations of vision impairment, hearing loss, activities of daily living, and dietary patterns with frailty among Thai older adults with vision impairment. A total of 209 participants were enrolled, comprising Thai older adults aged 60 years and over with a diagnosis of vision impairment who were receiving outpatient care at a university-affiliated super tertiary hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Data were collected using a personal and health information questionnaire, the FRAIL scale Thai version, the Five-Minute Hearing Test Thai version, the Activities of Daily Living Index, and the Eating Behaviour for the Elderly questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were implemented to analyze the data. The mean age was 73.64 years (SD = 8.02). Most participants were female (56.5%). Frailty was present in 51.2% of participants. Independent variables jointly explained frailty among older adults with vision impairment, which accounted for 53.8% of the variance (Nagelkerke R 2 = 0.538, Chi square = 107.998, p < .001). Participants with blindness (levels 1–3) had 9.46 times the adjusted odds of frailty compared to those with mild vision impairment (aOR = 9.46, 95% CI: 1.93–48.27, p = .006). Those with hearing loss had 4.99 times the adjusted odds of frailty compared to those without hearing loss (aOR = 4.99, 95% CI: 1.45–17.20, p = .011). Moreover, participants with moderate to severe limitations in activities of daily living had 2.69 times the adjusted odds of frailty compared to those who were functionally independent (aOR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.12–6.44, p = .027). Finally, participants with at-risk dietary patterns had 36.08 times the adjusted odds of frailty compared to those with normal dietary patterns (aOR = 36.08, 95% CI: 12.70–102.49, p < .001). Vision impairment, hearing loss, activities of daily living, and dietary patterns were significantly associated with frailty in Thai older adults with vision impairment.