Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers that the age of the elderly was begins at sixty five above, and usually the activity of individuals at this stage; their bodies are weak and consider themselves unproductive. They think that they become dependent on society in general and on their families in particular, all these things reflected negatively on their health and mental state, begin the stage of anxiety and thinking about the future and what it contains [1,2].

Frailty has been broadly defined as a multisystem geriatric illness characterized by increased susceptibility to stresses and loss of resilience in the face of internal or external challenges in many but interconnected physiological systems. It is thought that this increased susceptibility to difficulty, beyond that seen with normal aging, is associated with a higher risk for adverse health outcomes such falls, hospitalizations, institutionalization, and death. Because of the higher average age, the senior population has grown quickly. Older individuals are more focused on leading healthy lifestyles than merely living lengthy lives because their lifespans are longer. They also care about living autonomous, successful lives. Healthy aging is a sign of successful aging, which is the underlying assumption of aging [3-6].

The phrase "cognitive frailty" alludes to a loss of adaptation and resilience in the area of brain function and implies a connection to physical frailty. It would be beneficial to develop the relationship between the idea of cognitive reserve and the genesis of cognitive frailty. The inability to demonstrate a minimal degree of compensation for a cognitive activity that has previously been demonstrated to induce a compensating response in most healthy older adults might thus be conceivably seen as a more physiologically based diagnostic of cognitive frailty [7,8].

The presence of brain and systemic disease, whether preclinical or not, will make primary cognitive frailty worse because cognitive reserve and compensatory mechanisms will be further tested by disease specific neurodegenerative or vascular processes that have a preference for certain brain circuitry and areas beyond what is likely to be affected in healthy aging. It is important to think about the connection between sickness and the condition of inherent basic cognitive fragility. Since there is currently little real information available, many of the statements that follow will unavoidably be conjectural yet eventually testable. It is intriguing to think that 'normal aging' and brain disease are separated by primary cognitive weakness [9-10].

Cognitive frailty could point to a higher chance of unfavourable long-term health effects. The presence of frailty in the brain is sure to have functional repercussions as it grows, and they are likely to result in unfavourable health outcomes because frailty is driven by the same core age related processes in all organs and systems in the body. The word "mood" refers to an emotional state that lasts for a while, such as depression, fear, worry, or wrath. Although it might be essentially independent of mood, motivation, the drive toward a goal, or lack thereof (apathy), is linked to mood [11-12].

The aims

This study aimed to assess late adult's knowledge about psychological frailty, to measure the level of knowledge about psychological frailty, and to find out the correlation between knowledge with regard to their socio-demographic characteristics.

Materials and Methods

A descriptive study design carried out at Technical Institute-Suwaira in Middle Technical University. Included (100) of staff selected from technical institute Swaira, to assess their knowledge about psychological frailty domain. Sampling technique to selection staff were non-probability (convenience sample).

The data collection was through the direct interview technique by researcher with each participant of staff lasted from 28^th April 2022 to15^th August 2022. Constructed the studyinstrument (questionnaire). Questionnaire format contents part (1) Socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational level, marital status, job title, income, life style, do exercise regularly and suffer from chronic diseases), also the questionnaire contain part (2) knowledge about psychological frailty.

Statistical analysis

The data analysis approaches were used in order to analyse and assess the results of the study under application of the statistical package (SPSS) ver. (25): Frequency distributions, percent and Chi-square. A P-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Knowledge scores varied from (1 to 3), with the levels of poor knowledge (1–1.66), fair knowledge (1.67–2.33) and good knowledge (2.34–3).

Ethical approval has been from the research ethics committee in the college of nursing/university of Baghdad, also approval obtained from technical institute Al-Suwaira/middle technical university. Participants in the study who are late adults have completed consent forms acknowledging their understanding that their participation is voluntary and that the information would be treated in confidence and used exclusively for research purposes.

Results

Results of this Table 1 reveal of (100) participants from socio-demographic characteristics; (64%) of them were (49-56) years old, (61%) were male, (36%) of them the educational level is bachelor, (90%) were married, (49%) of them were technician, (68%) the income is barely sufficient, (36%) of them the life style is not healthy and not unhealthy, (79%) do exercise regularly, and (67%) of theme suffer from chronic diseases.

Table 1. Distribution of the sample according to their socio-demographic characteristics.

This Table 2 presents the assessment of late adults knowledge about psychological frailty; the findings indicate that late adults’ are showing most level of knowledge is fair in which the mean scores refer to fair among mostly items, except items (1, 3, 4, 6, 10, and 15) show good level of knowledge.

Table 2. Assessment of knowledge about psychological frailty.

This Table 3 indicates that late adults participated in the study are showing fair level of knowledge about psychological frailty more than half (61%).

Table 3. Assessment of late adult’s knowledge about psychological frailty.

This Table 4 show high positive significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and age, gender, job title, life style and do exercise regularly, and show positive significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and educational level, and suffer from chronic diseases. While show no significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and marital status, and income.

Table 4. Correlation between late adults knowledge with regard to their socio-demographic characteristics.

Discussion

Results of late adult’s socio-demographic characteristics. (64%) of them were (49-56) years old; this result is agreed in the study is carried out among older Koreans founded the mean age of the participants was 73.01 ± 4.95 years. (61%) were male, (36%) of them the educational level is bachelor, and the study show that number of elderly who are a campaigning higher diploma and bachelor? (90%) were married, the result of study support that (61.3%) of the sample were married. (49%) of them were technician, (68%) the income is barely sufficient, (36%) of them the life style is not healthy and not unhealthy, (79%) do exercise regularly, and (67%) of theme suffer from chronic diseases.

Significant findings of our results were as follows: The study results revealed that assessment of knowledge about psychological frailty the study indicate that late adults’ are showing more than half assessment of knowledge is fair in which the mean scores refer to fair among mostly items, the other items show good assessment of knowledge. This is owing to the fact that the majority of participants, when asked about psychological frailty, do not grasp the meaning and characteristics that differentiate weakness and frailty. As a result, the evaluation of participants' knowledge on psychological frailty is fair. The study from US report that A rising corpus of research shows that biological aging or frailty is a factor in health related outcomes; yet, the general public probably has little knowledge of and awareness of frailty. According to the conceptual model, stereotypes, aging knowledge, and culture all have an impact on adults views and beliefs. Adults choose priorities for aging and then decide which aspects are under their conscious or subconscious control. They may engage in healthy practices to slow down aging if they are thought to be significant and controlled. Adults may attempt to control their own mental health through acceptance if they believe it to be uncontrollable or less significant. Frailty may be a more subjective term, and individuals frequently may not perceive themselves as feeble, according to scant research.

Other study present there were statistically significant differences between the male incoming and the female incoming at the level of (0.01) in the psychological alienation in favour of the male. Interestingly, we found that late adults knowledge about psychological frailty the study indicates that late adults participated in the study are showing fair level of knowledge about psychological frailty more than half 61%. This is because they did not gain information or education courses or seminars regarding frailty in general and the domains that are related to it; as a result, their level of understanding is inadequate. The study from Nova Scotia health authority, Canada present the FACT tool was generally perceived by renal nurses as having improved efficacy and understanding of frailty, which was directly related to a standardized method of identifying frailty among their patient population and the sense of team confidence they felt in their ability to provide better care. Each nurse participant cited increased frailty knowledge and awareness as significant and related to better decision making. Other nurse led screening programs have found success in routinely detecting frailty. Realistic objectives, precise instructions, and a leader who could be easily identified helped the program be implemented successfully.

The findings consistent with study the correlation between knowledge and demographic characteristics that show high positive significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and age, gender, job title, life style and do exercise regularly. According to correlation between knowledge and age, the study is carried out in United Kingdom that present there is strong relationship between age and frailty because growing older raises the risk of morbidity, which results in diminished independence and higher health and social care expenses. The correlation between knowledge and gender; the study carried out in USA that present women have a higher incidence than men, presumably as a result of the fact that women are more likely to age into frailty than men do.

Also the study show that most prominent social problems faced by people with Alzheimer’s disease are social isolation and its serious repercussions on the patient’s mental health, which definitely and effectively contribute to the deterioration of the patient’s condition to difficult stages in which treatment and rehabilitation are difficult, as (76%) of the sample confirmed this, in 15 respondents answered (no), by (54%) of the sample.

According to correlation between knowledge and life style; this is due to the life style have directly effects on presents frailty; the study carried-out in Dutch show after adjusting for the impact of other lifestyle factors and participant socio-demographics, researchers found a relationship between lower levels of overall, physical, psychological, and social frailty and higher levels of alcohol consumption, physical activity, healthy eating, and less smoking (age, gender, marital status, education, income). Physical exercise had a significant impact on overall and physical frailty, but other lifestyle factors had just a little impact.

While show positive significant correlation between late adults’ knowledge about social frailty and educational level, and suffer from chronic diseases; this is due to the when increase level of educational that cause to reduce the risk of incidence chronic illness, overall frailty in general and social frailty, this is agree with study carried out in Netherlands the study show Our population based study of older persons outcomes revealed an association between education level and frailty, with greater frailty prevalence rates among those with less education. The overall prevalence of frailty rose during the course of the 13 years follow-up period. Nevertheless, the rate of growth was consistent across all levels of schooling. To understand the causes of educational variations in frailty, a wide range of explanatory factors were taken into account. In significant part, the correlation between educational attainment and frailty was explicated. The multidimensional nature of educational variations in frailty is demonstrated by the contribution of all distinct categories of components to the explanation, with the exception of social factors [13-20].

Conclusion

The study concluded that late adults more than half assessment of knowledge is fair in which the mean scores refer to fair among mostly items, fair level of knowledge about psychological frailty more than half (61%), high positive significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and age, gender, job title, life style and do exercise regularly, and show positive significant relationship between late adults’ knowledge about psychological frailty and educational level, and suffer from chronic diseases, and no significant relationship between late adults knowledge about psychological frailty and marital status, and income.

Recommendations

The study recommend that need to developing educational program, lecture, courses and seminar about overall frailty and domain of frailty to increase knowledge of late adults that lead to change their lifestyle and go away the wrong behaviours and habits.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the late adults who participated in this study and dedicated their time to its execution.

Conflict of Interest

There is no conflict of interest

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