Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

How to Select a Frail Elderly Population? A Comparison of Three Working Definitions

1999; Elsevier BV; Volume: 52; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0895-4356(99)00077-3

1878-5921

Mai J. M. Chinapaw, Joost Dekker, Edith J. M. Feskens, Evert G. Schouten, Daan Kromhout,

Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life

Aim of this study was to compare three different working definitions for selecting a frail elderly population. Frailty was defined as inactivity combined with (1) low energy intake (n = 29), (2) weight loss (n = 26), or (3) low body mass index (n = 26). In the Zutphen Elderly Study (n = 450; age 69-89 years) differences in health, functioning, and diet in 1990 and functional decline and mortality in the following 3 years between "frail" and "nonfrail" participants, according to the working definitions, were studied using logistic regression analysis. Differences according to the inactivity/weight loss criterium were more pronounced than according to the other two criteria. Inactivity/weight loss was associated with lower subjective health and performance and more diseases and disabilities in 1990. Three-year relative risks of mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 4.1, 1.8-9.4) and functional decline (OR: 5.2, 1.04-25.8 for disabilities, OR: 3.7, 0.8-16.2 for performance) were higher as well. Inactivity in combination with weight loss seems a practicable working definition for selecting a frail elderly population.