The Aging Study of Pyeongchang Rural Area (ASPRA): Findings and Perspectives for Human Aging, Frailty, and Disability

Abstract

The Aging Study of Pyeongchang Rural Area (ASPRA) is a population-based, prospective cohort study of older adults in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Since the initial enrollment of 382 participants, the ASPRA has been maintained and has conducted comprehensive geriatric assessments annually, gradually expanding its population and coverage area. As a cohort study of aging-related conditions and their functional consequences, the ASPRA leveraged Pyeongchang’s relatively low annual population movement rate and its healthcare delivery system, which was largely maintained by community health posts. Since its establishment, the ASPRA has reported numerous observational and multicomponent intervention studies on functional decline, geriatric syndrome, and frailty. Here, we discuss the findings and perspectives of ASPRA studies. We hope that the ASPRA enables the further implementation of a longitudinal study design on geriatric parameters and the development of public health strategies targeting aging-related conditions, especially in resource-limited community settings.

Association Between Changes in Frailty Index and Clinical Outcomes: An Observational Cohort Study

“… 28 The ASPRA was initially designed to study the natural course and clinical impact of frailty and geriatric syndromes in community-dwelling adults, and to develop geriatric multicomponent intervention schemes that are feasible in rural, resource-limited settings in Korea, the details of the ASPRA study have been published elsewhere. 19 …”

Operationalization of the Clinical Frailty Scale in Korean Community-Dwelling Older People

“…We used the records of the Aging Study of the Pyeongchang Rural Area (ASPRA), a population-based prospective cohort study on frailty, sarcopenia, and geriatric syndromes in communitydwelling older Korean adults. Details of the study characteristics, evolutions in the designs, and summary of study findings have been described previously (22). Briefly, the ASPRA was established in 2014 in Pyeongchang county, Gangwon Province, Korea, using the Community Health Post network of the National Healthcare Service (NHS), a health system operated by the Korean government.…”