ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1507400
The Impact of Ambient Temperature on Frailty Progression in older adults:Evidence from a Longitudinal Study in China
Provisionally accepted
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
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The aging population and frailty-related diseases pose significant public health challenges. This study examined the relationship between ambient temperature and frailty progression in older adults using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).Materials and Methods: Data from 6,187 participants (2015-2018) were analyzed using a standardized Frailty Index (FI). Participants were categorized into the Frailty Progress Rapid Group (FPRG) and Non-Frailty Rapid Progression Group (NFPRG) based on FI changes. Temperature data from 121 Chinese cities were analyzed using logistic regression and subgroup analyses to explore potential modifiers.Results: TLDAT and AAT showed a negative association with frailty progression.The relationship between THDAT and frailty progression was non-linear, with a turning point at 31.8°C. Subgroup analyses revealed that higher THDAT had a stronger impact on frailty progression in individuals with lower education and those living in rural areas.Older adults benefit from environments with a TLDAT above -9°C, a THDAT below 31.8°C, and an AAT above 17°C. Public health strategies should consider temperature thresholds alongside sociodemographic factors like education and residence, which influence frailty progression.
Keywords: Frailty progression, Ambient temperature exposure, older adults, longitudinal cohort study, Temperature thresholds
Received: 07 Oct 2024; Accepted: 15 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 He, Cheng and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xin He, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
Hua Cao, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
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