Frailty under COVID‐19 pandemic in Japan: Changes in prevalence of frailty from 2017 to 2021

Background After the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), “pandemic‐associated‐frailty” or profound health deterioration, in older adults has been considered a health concern. In this study, we sought to demonstrate whether pandemic‐associated‐frailty is occurring in Japan, where the population is aging, by showing the prevalence of frailty before and during the COVID‐19 outbreak, using the same method. Methods A total of 5222 older adults in Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture, aged 70 and 75 were surveyed annually using a complete survey, excluding those who were certified as requiring long‐term care. Frailty during 2017–2019 before the COVID‐19 outbreak and during 2020–2021 during the COVID‐19 outbreak was determined using the Kihon Checklist (KCL). Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 test to compare annual frailty status and Kruskal–Wallis test to compare the scores. Results The frailty statuses over the five‐year period showed a significant decrease in Robust and a significant increase in Pre‐frailty and Frailty (p