ORAL COMMUNICATION | Relationship between frailty, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep quality among hospitalized older adults: a cross-sectional study

Background. Gastrointestinal and sleep symptoms are common in older adults, but their association with frailty is not well established. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between frailty, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep quality in hospitalized older adults.

Methods. Data were obtained from the FRailty Project, an ongoing multicenter observational study evaluating the impact of frailty on adverse health outcomes in hospitalized middle-aged and older patients. Participants completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Frailty was assessed using the Fried frailty phenotype. Associations between GSRS, PSQI, and frailty were analyzed using median regression models.

Results. A total of 181 patients (47.5% women; median age 76 years) were included, of whom 61.3% were classified as frail. Frail participants showed significantly higher GSRS scores than pre-frail participants (median 18.0 vs. 5.0), corresponding to a clinically relevant difference that remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. PSQI scores were also higher in frail individuals (median 8.0 vs. 6.0), but this association was no longer significant after adjustment.

Conclusions. Gastrointestinal symptoms are independently associated with frailty in hospitalized older adults, while the relationship between sleep quality and frailty appears to be confounded by clinical factors.