Inequalities in Frailty Among Older Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants and Native Dutch: Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

Emiel O Hoogendijk,Martijn Huisman,Sascha De Breij,Maaike E Muntinga,Silvia S Klokgieters

doi:10.1007/s10903-021-01169-9

Abstract

Very few studies have investigated frailty among older immigrants in Europe. The aim of the current study was to investigate inequalities in frailty in young-olds related to gender, educational level and country of origin, as well as intersections between these characteristics. Cross-sectional data were used from older Turkish and Moroccan immigrants (n = 466) and native Dutch (n = 1,020), all aged 55–65 years and participating in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Frailty was assessed with a 30-item frailty index, based on the deficit accumulation approach. Frailty was higher among women, lower educated, and people with a migration background. Of all groups considered, frailty levels were the highest among Turkish immigrants. No statistically significant interaction effects between gender, educational level and country of origin were found. When targeting frailty interventions, special attention should be devoted to older immigrants, as they are the most vulnerable group with the highest frailty levels.

Highlights

As the global population is aging, the attention for the concept of frailty is increasing [1]
Using data from older Turkish and Moroccan immigrants and native Dutch in Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), the aim of the current study was to investigate inequalities in frailty related to gender, educational level and country of origin, as well as intersections between these characteristics
We investigated frailty among Turkish and Moroccan immigrants and native Dutch aged 55–65 years in the Netherlands

Summary

Introduction

As the global population is aging, the attention for the concept of frailty is increasing [1]. Reasons for migration vary, but many non-Western immigrants settled because of occupational opportunities This first generation of migrant workers is reaching older age, and is of interest for health policy makers [10]. The few studies that have reported on frailty in older immigrants in Europe were based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in various countries and the TOPICS-MDS dataset in the Netherlands [11,12,13]. In both studies, older immigrants were not purposely sampled, which may have led to selective samples.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion