Differences in Speech Characteristics among Frail, Pre-Frail, and Robust Older Adults in Korea

Background: As people age, changes in speech characteristics naturally occur. If differences in speech features exist between frail older adults and those experiencing healthy aging, speech assessment could become a valuable tool for monitoring frailty. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in speech characteristics according to frailty in older adults. Study design: A cross-sectional design Methods: Forty-two individuals aged 65 and older were recruited from senior community centers. Frailty was assessed based on weight loss, self-reported exhaustion, low physical activity, slow gait speed, and weak grip strength, classifying participants into three groups: frail, pre-frail, and robust. Speech variables, including total speech duration, voiced and unvoiced duration, speech and articulation rates, mean syllable duration, and number of pauses during speech, were compared across the three groups. Results: Frail and pre-frail older adults exhibited significantly slower speech and articulation rates, taking longer to speak the same sentences compared to robust adults. Additionally, frail older adults showed a significantly longer mean syllable duration and more pauses during speech than their robust participants. Conclusions: These findings suggest that speech characteristics could be valuable indicators of frailty in older adults. Future large-scale studies should further explore the relationship between frailty and these speech features.