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. 2019 Sep;64(7):1025-1036.
doi: 10.1007/s00038-019-01270-9. Epub 2019 Jun 24.

Sex Differences in Comorbidity and Frailty in Europe

Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt  1 , Sören Möller  2   3 , Mikael Thinggaard  4   5 , Kaare Christensen  4   5   6   7 , Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen  4
Affiliations

Sex Differences in Comorbidity and Frailty in Europe

Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt et al. Int J Public Health. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine sex differences in prevalent comorbidity and frailty across age and European regions.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on 113,299 Europeans aged 50+ participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe from 2004-2005 to 2015. Sex differences in the Comorbidity Index and the Frailty Phenotype were investigated using ordinal logistic regressions.

Results: European women had generally higher odds of prevalent comorbidity (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.15) and frailty (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.51-1.62). Sex differences increased with advancing age. No overall sex difference in comorbidity was found in Western Europe, but women had more comorbidity than men in Eastern (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.18-1.44), Southern (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.15-1.30), and Northern (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.16) Europe. Women were frailer than men in all regions, with the largest sex difference in Southern Europe (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.72-1.96).

Conclusions: European women are frailer and have slightly more comorbidity than European men lending support for the male-female health survival paradox.

Keywords: Comorbidity; Europe; Frailty; SHARE; Sex differences.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sex differences in the Comorbidity Index and the Frailty Phenotype by age groups and European regions among participants in SHARE interviewed from 2004–2005 to 2015. a Sex differences in comorbidity by age groups for all countries combined. b Sex differences in comorbidity by age groups and regions. c Sex differences by age groups for the specific diseases included in the Comorbidity Index. d Sex differences in frailty by age groups for all countries combined. e Sex differences in frailty by age groups and regions. f Sex differences by age groups for the specific items included in the Frailty Phenotype
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