Introduction:

Frailty and depression risk are common in older adults undergoing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment. However, little is known about this association in people with COPD residing in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective:

The study aimed to establish the relationship between frailty and depression among ambulatory adults over 60 years with COPD in Santa Marta, Colombia.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional study was designed in which consecutive patients from the pulmonology outpatient clinic were invited to participate. Frailty was quantified with the FiND (Frail Non-Disabled (FiND) (Screening Tool) (Cronbach's alpha 0.65) and depression with the Primary Care Screening Questionnaire for Depression (PSQD) (Cronbach's alpha 0.73). Results: Three-hundred forty-nine patients with COPD between 60 and 98 years participated (M=75.6, SD=8.4), 61.9% were males, and 19.8% presented a C or D combined evaluation. Two hundred eighty-six patients (76.8%) presented frailty with and without mobility disability, and 31.2% presented depression. The relationship of frailty with depression remained significant, even after adjusting for confounding variables (OR=2.80, 95%CI 1.42-5.51).

Conclusions:

Frailty and depression are significantly associated after adjusting for confounding variables. More studies are welcome.