Development of a frailty scale for elderly people in China

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.

Methods

The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individuals in different communities of Tianjin, China. EuroQol-5D was used to evaluate the criterion validity. Cronbach's α coefficients, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale. To evaluate the test–retest reliability, 30 old people were re-evaluated after 2 weeks.

Results

The final version of the frailty scale (FI-35) consisted of 35 items. Eleven factors were extracted by a principal factor analysis and varimax rotation, with a cumulative contribution of 86.00%. Eleven dimensions were positively correlated (r = 0.130–0.541, P < 0.01). Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.952, and the alpha coefficients of 11 dimensions ranged from 0.730 to 0.992. The test–retest reliability was 0.874 for the total scale. The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.808. Structural equation modeling was used to perform a confirmatory factor analysis, and various parameters were all acceptable.

Conclusions

FI-35 met the requirement of scale development and showed good reliability and validity; thus, it can be used as an efficient frailty measurement tool for Chinese elderly.