Twenty-five percent of the cohort (186/749) were frail at baseline; 56% (104/186) of frail
versus 20% (23/117) of nonfrail women developed dependence in activities in daily living (P .001).
In multivariate analysis, frailty was independently associated with the development of dependence in
activities in daily living (hazard ratio [HR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4 to 3.6), adjusting
for hospitalization status, age, race, education, baseline functional status, cognition, depressive symptoms,
number of chronic diseases, and self-reported health status. Additionally, a dose-response
relationship existed between the number of frailty criteria that a woman had and the hazard of
subsequent dependence in activities in daily living.