The relationship between frailty, spiritual orientation, and death anxiety in older adults with chronic illness

Abstract

The purpose of the current work was to identify the levels of frailty, spiritual orientation, and death anxiety and the relationship between them in older adults with chronic illness. This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with 221 participants. Of the participants, 43.9% were frail. Considering the correlation between the scales, a positive moderate significant correlation was identified between the FRAIL Scale and the Death Anxiety Scale. In contrast, a negative moderate significant correlation was revealed between the Spiritual Orientation Scale, FRAIL Scale, and Death Anxiety Scale. When the mediator variable, death anxiety, was not included in the model, the total effect of spiritual orientation on death anxiety was significant. It was revealed that death anxiety mediated the relationship between spiritual orientation and frailty. Hence, it is recommended that spiritual care needs and death anxiety be evaluated in the assessment of patients' frailty levels and patient care.