Objectives
To assess the reliability, construct validity, and predictive (concurrent) validity
of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), a self-report questionnaire for measuring
frailty in older persons.
Design
Cross-sectional.
Setting
Community-based.
Participants
Two representative samples of community-dwelling persons aged 75 years and older (n = 245;
n = 234).
Measurements
The TFI was validated using the LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire, BMI, Timed Up
& Go test, Four test balance scale, Grip strength test, Shortened Fatigue Questionnaire,
Mini-Mental State Examination, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale,
Anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Mastery Scale, Loneliness
Scale, and the Social Support List. Adverse outcomes were measured using the Groningen
Activity Restriction Scale and questions regarding health care use. Quality of life
was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF.
Results
The test-retest reliability of the TFI was good: 0.79 for frailty, and from 0.67 to
0.78 for its domains for a 1-year time interval. The 15 single components, and the
frailty domains (physical, psychological, social) of the TFI correlated as expected
with validated measures, demonstrating both convergent and divergent construct validity
of the TFI. The predictive validity of the TFI and its physical domain was good for
quality of life and the adverse outcomes disability and receiving personal care, nursing,
and informal care.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that the psychometric properties of the TFI are good, when
performed in 2 samples of community-dwelling older people. The results regarding the
TFI's validity provide strong evidence for an integral definition of frailty consisting
of physical, psychological, and social domains.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 10, 2010
Footnotes
The authors have no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Medical Directors Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
