Effect of a physical activity program in older adults with frailty syndrome in Mexicali, Baja California. Mexico

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of a physical activity program on the presence of frailty in older adults. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study in older adult beneficiaries of Family Medicine Unit Nº 16 in Mexicali, Baja California (BC). Mexico, of the Mexican Social Security Institute. The FRAIL scale was administered to detect frailty (fatigue, resistance, aerobic performance, comorbidity, and weight loss in the last year), and participants were enrolled in a physical activity program for 12 weeks to compare its effect on frailty syndrome. Descriptive analysis and Fisher's test were used, with a value of p < 0.05 considered significant, using the SPSSv24 statistical software. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 46 patients with frailty syndrome. An age of 68.83 years and an IMC of 30.40 kg/m² (obesity) predominated in both sexes. Before the intervention, 58.8% were prefrail and 41.2% were frail; after the intervention, 43.5% of participants who were initially frail or prefrail were observed to have become classified as nonfrail. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained are consistent with the current literature on the effectiveness of physical exercise programs in reducing frailty in older adults.