title: [Resources and risks in old age: the LUCAS-I marker set for a classification of elderly people as fit, pre-frail and frail. First results on validity from the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS), Hamburg].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a need for a simple self-administered instrument to assess frailty in community-dwelling seniors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a new marker set to assess the functional state of seniors. Contrary to current literature, we focus not only on risks, but also include resources. The questions relate to facts (ways to do things), rather than on subjective information (e.g. exhaustion). It was developed in the context of the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) in Hamburg, Germany.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The classification based on these questions proposes operational definitions of the terms fit, pre-frail and frail and is predictive for need for nursing care as well as mortality. A wealth of results establishes the validity of the categorisation compared to other health questions. One of the classification questions concerns cycling. For areas where cycling is not suitable, we propose to replace this question with one about independently walking 500 m. However, the cycling question appears to indicate frailty earlier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The self-administered questionnaire provides a simple, cost-effective way to screen seniors for early signs of declining function in order to start preventive action.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsabteilung, Zentrum für Geriatrie und Gerontologie, Albertinen-Haus, Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung an der Universität Hamburg, Sellhopsweg 18-22, 22459 Hamburg. ulrike.dapp@albertinen.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dapp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golgert
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: von Renteln-Kruse
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Minder
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data