Friendship-related social isolation is a potential risk factor for the transition from robust to prefrailty among health

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RESEARCH PAPER

Friendship‑related social isolation is a potential risk factor for the transition from robust to prefrailty among healthy older adults: a 1‑year follow‑up study Chiharu Uno1,2   · Kiwako Okada1 · Eiji Matsushita1 · Shosuke Satake3,4 · Masafumi Kuzuya2,5 Received: 23 June 2020 / Accepted: 14 October 2020 © European Geriatric Medicine Society 2020

Key summary points Aim  This study concerns an investigation of whether social isolation is associated with the new onset of physical frailty among healthy Japanese older adults. Findings  Fourfold higher risk of developing prefrailty during 1-year follow-up. Friendship-related social isolation increases the risk of prefrailty. Message  Improving the social isolation of friendship may prevent the transition to frailty. Abstract Purpose  Social factors are often overlooked when considering physical frailty. The purpose of this study was to determine whether social isolation is associated with new onset of physical frailty among healthy Japanese older adults. Methods  This was a 1-year prospective cohort study conducted in Japan from August 2014 to August 2015. The participants were 229 Japanese older people (106 men, 123 women, mean age = 69.3 ± 4.2 years) who did not have prefrailty or frailty at baseline and who were current students or graduates of a community college for older people in Japan. Social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 in terms of overall social isolation, family-related social isolation, and friendship-related social isolation. Frailty was categorized using the Fried frailty criteria. The association between new onset of physical frailty and baseline characteristics, including social isolation, was investigated. Results  At 1-year follow-up, 180 (78.6%) of the participants remained robust, while 49 (21.4%) were identified as prefrail; no participants were identified as frail. Prefrailty was only associated with friendship-related social isolation (odds ratio: 4.58, 95% confidence interval 2.11–9.92, P