Measuring functioning and health in the very old.
To assess the validity of brief multidimensional measures of health, we studied 155 new residents of a long-term care institution. We collected self-reported measures of various aspects of health, as well as performance-based measures of physical and cognitive function. For six similar health dimensions measured using two self-reported methods, the average correlation between paired health dimensions was 0.64 (nonpaired correlation = 0.36). When we compared self-reports and performance on three closely paired health concepts, the average correlation of paired concepts was 0.49 (nonpaired correlation = 0.22). In a factor analysis, similar health dimensions measured using different methods tended to load on the same factor. Except for manual performance, performance-based and self-reported measures of physical and role function loaded on one factor. We conclude that brief measures of health and self-reported physical functioning in very old persons have acceptable validity.
Siu
A L
AL
UCLA Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.
Hays
R D
RD
Ouslander
J G
JG
Osterwell
D
D
Valdez
R B
RB
Krynski
M
M
Gross
A
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D011788:Quality of Life; D012647:Self-Assessment