title: Detecting and categorizing frailty status in older adults using a self-report screening instrument.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to design and validate a self-reported assessment tool for the identification of frailty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A thousand community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years), users of the medical insurance of the French national education system, received (Year 1) a postal questionnaire requesting information about health and socio-demographic characteristics. Among those who responded to the questionnaire (n=535), 398 individuals were classified as frail, pre-frail, or robust. One year later (Year 2), the same questionnaire was sent to this group and n=309 were returned. Frailty was operationalized using four criteria: low body mass index (BMI), low level of physical activity, and dissatisfaction with both muscle strength and endurance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Frailty constituted a single entity, different from physical limitation and co-morbidity. Compared with robust individuals, frail persons were older, had more chronic diseases, higher levels of disability and physical function decline. Pre-frail individuals had an intermediate distribution. Those people classified as either frail or pre-frail had higher frequency of hospitalization, and a higher probability of co-morbidity than robust. Frailty was also associated with higher mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our screening tool for frailty was able to evidence important characteristics of this syndrome, i.e., it is a single entity with grades of severity which are associated with health problems. Detecting and categorizing frailty may lead to early therapeutic interventions to combat this condition.
authors: UMR 6578 Laboratory of Anthropologie Bioculturelle, Université de la Méditerranée, CNRS, EFS, CS80011, Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, France. philipebarreto81@yahoo.com.br
authors: Philipe de Souto
authors: Pde S
authors: Barreto
authors: Carolyn
authors: C
authors: Greig
authors: Anne-Marie
authors: AM
authors: Ferrandez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010807:Physical Endurance; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index