Associação entre Fragilidade Física, Cognição e Sintomas de Ansiedade e Depressão em Pessoas Idosas: estudo de base populacional no interior do Brasil

Thiago Henrique Ferreira Vasconcellos; Gabriela Cabett Cipolli; Angélica Sebastiana Dias Magalhães; Flávia Silva Arbex Borim; Mônica Sanches Yassuda

doi:10.17765/2176-9206.2026v19e13826

Authors

Thiago Henrique Ferreira Vasconcellos Universidade Estadual de Campinas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7613-6022
Gabriela Cabett Cipolli Universidade Estadual de Campinas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6966-1654
Angélica Sebastiana Dias Magalhães Centro Universitário de Pato de Minas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3318-7639
Flávia Silva Arbex Borim Universidade Estadual de Campinas https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7316-1145
Mônica Sanches Yassuda Universidade de São Paulo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9182-2450

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17765/2176-9206.2026v19e13826

Keywords:

Aged, Frailty, Cognition, Anxiety, Depression

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between physical frailty and symptoms of anxiety in community-dwelling older adults, also considering cognition and depressive symptoms as associated variables. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 604 older adults living in the community in the city of Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in which depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, cognition was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination, and frailty was evaluated through a self-reported scale. Associations between frailty, cognition, depression, anxiety, and sociodemographic variables were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and the Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables. Among the 604 participants, 348 were women, with a mean age of 69.3 years (±7.3), 57.9% presented low levels of physical activity, 56.0% were classified as frail, and 33.8% as pre-frail, with Region 3 showing lower physical activity levels and higher frailty. Among frail individuals, 31.1% exhibited cognitive decline, and frail older adults presented more symptoms of depression and anxiety, lower educational levels, and more advanced age compared to non-frail individuals. It is concluded that physical frailty in older adults is significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, cognitive decline, and sociodemographic factors, and although the findings are based on bivariate analyses, which limit control of potential confounders, they reinforce the need for multidimensional strategies that integrate mental health into the prevention of physical frailty in aging.

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Author Biographies

Thiago Henrique Ferreira Vasconcellos, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

PhD candidate in Gerontology at State University of Campinas. Graduation at Psicologia from Centro Universitário de Patos de Minas (2011) and master's at Psychology from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (2014). He is currently full professor at Centro Universitário de Patos de Minas. Has experience in Psychology, focusing on Psychology of the Human Development, acting on the following subjects: gerontologia, habilidades cognitivas, teste de reconhecimento, psicológico and reparo tecidual.

Gabriela Cabett Cipolli, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Ph.D in Gerontology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp) with a sandwich doctorate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Center on Aging and Health. Master in Science (emphasis on Gerontology) from the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of the University of São Paulo - EACH-USP (2019). Graduated in Gerontology from EACH-USP (2014). She has experience in basic research in the field of neuroscience, with an emphasis on memory, Alzheimer's disease, and its intracellular mechanisms. She conducted scientific initiation in the area of Pharmacology, with an emphasis on Neuropsychopharmacology in the laboratories of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo and EACH-USP, through the Neuropharmacology and Aging Research Group (GPNFE). In 2015, she was a volunteer Gerontologist for the Elderly Project at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo - IPQ/HCFMUSP. She collaborates on the study titled "Effect of health variables, personality, and psychological well-being on frailty, death, and cognitive decline in elderly aged 80 and over: FIBRA Study".

Angélica Sebastiana Dias Magalhães, Centro Universitário de Pato de Minas

Atua como psicóloga clínica em atendimentos individuais a jovens, adultos e idosos, nas modalidades presenciais e online. Desempenha a função de psicóloga responsável técnica na instituição "Cuidando de Você Home Care",desenvolvendo atendimentos domiciliares e atividades de supervisão relacionadas à saúde mental. Também exerce a função de psicóloga clínica no "Instituto Khronus de Desenvolvimento Humano (IKDH)", ambos localizados na cidade de Patos de Minas - MG. Desempenha papel administrativo no Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa (CEP) e na Comissão de Ética no Uso de Animais (CEUA), ambos proponentes do Centro Universitário de Patos de Minas (UNIPAM). Atuou como representante da organização de interesse social "Observatório da Longevidade Humana e Envelhecimento (OLHE)" da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC/SP), no município de Patos de Minas. Possui pós-graduação em Psicanálise: Teoria e Clínica (2022) e graduação em Psicologia (2019), ambas pelo Centro Universitário de Patos de Minas (UNIPAM). Realiza pesquisas na área de Psicanálise e Processos Psicossociais em Educação e Saúde. Áreas de interesse: Psicologia Clínica, Saúde Mental e Desenvolvimento Humano.

Flávia Silva Arbex Borim, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Graduate at fisioterapia from Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (2000). Has experience in Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, focusing on Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.

Mônica Sanches Yassuda, Universidade de São Paulo

Holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of São Paulo (1990), a Master’s (1994) and Ph.D. (1999) in Human Development Psychology from the University of Florida. She earned her Habilitation (Livre-Docência) from the University of São Paulo (2011) and became a Full Professor (2017) at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of the University of São Paulo (EACH-USP). She teaches and conducts research in the Undergraduate and Master's programs in Gerontology, focusing on topics related to the Psychology of Aging, such as cognition and aging, memory, metamemory, cognitive training, dementia, and geriatric neuropsychology. At EACH-USP, she served as Coordinator of the Gerontology Bachelor's Program (2009–2013), Chair of the Undergraduate Committee (2011–2013), and Director (2018–2022). She was a member of the State Council for the Elderly, representing the Secretariat of Higher Education (2009–2011), and a member of the State Reference Committee on Elderly Health of the São Paulo State Department of Health. She is a graduate advisor in the Gerontology Program at EACH-USP and UNICAMP, and in Neurology at the USP School of Medicine. She was the principal investigator of the FAPESP Thematic Project 16/00084-8, “Follow-up study of the Campinas and Ermelino Matarazzo cohorts of the FIBRA study: predictors and outcomes of frailty in older adults in Brazil” (2018–2022). She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the LatAm-FINGERS study, funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and involving 12 Latin American countries, and coordinates the Graduate Program in Gerontology at EACH-USP

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