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. 2010 Jun;11(5):356-64.
doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.11.008.

Determinants of frailty

Robbert J J Gobbens  1 , Marcel A L M van Assen, Katrien G Luijkx, Maria Th Wijnen-Sponselee, Jos M G A Schols
Affiliations

Determinants of frailty

Robbert J J Gobbens et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine which determinants predict frailty and domains of frailty (physical, psychological, social) in a community-dwelling sample of elderly persons.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Community-based.

Participants: A representative sample of 484 community-dwelling persons aged 75 years and older.

Measurements: The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), a self-report questionnaire, was used to collect information about determinants of frailty and to assess frailty and domains of frailty (physical, psychological, social).

Results: Results were obtained by regression and mediation analyses. The 10 determinants explain about 35% of the variance of frailty. After controlling for other determinants, medium income, an unhealthy lifestyle, and multimorbidity predicted frailty. The effects of other determinants differed across domains of frailty; age predicted physical frailty, life events predicted psychological frailty, whereas being a woman predicted social frailty because older women have a higher probability of living alone.

Conclusion: Our finding that the effect of the determinants of frailty differs across frailty domains suggests that it is essential to divide the concept of frailty into domains.

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