The prevalence and characteristics of frailty by frailty phenotype in rural Tanzania

The frailty phenotype is defined by the presence of three from the following five clinical features: weakness, slow walking speed, unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, and low physical activity. It has been widely applied in different research and clinical contexts, including across many low and middle-income countries. However, there is evidence that the operationalisation of each component of the frailty phenotype significantly alters its characteristics and predictive validity, and care is needed when applying the phenotype across settings. The study’s objective was to operationalise the frailty phenotype in a rural Tanzanian population of older community-dwelling adults.