Using the Short Physical Performance Battery to screen for frailty in young-old adults with distinct socioeconomic conditions

Aim: To analyze the Short Physical Performance Battery's (SPPB) ability in screening for frailty in community‐dwelling young elderly from cities with distinct socioeconomic conditions. Methods: Elderly (65–74 years‐of‐age) from Canada (Saint Bruno; n = 60) and Brazil (Santa Cruz; n = 64) were evaluated with the SPPB to assess physical performance. Frailty was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the following criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, mobility limitation and low physical activity. Linear regression and receiver operating characteristics analyses were carried out. Results: The SPPB correlated with frailty (R2 = 0.33), with better results for Saint Bruno. A cut‐off of 9 in the SPPB had good sensitivity (92%) and specificity (80%) in discriminating frail from non‐frail in Saint Bruno (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.81), but showed fair results in Santa Cruz (AUC = 0.61, sensitivity = 81% and specificity = 52%). Conclusions: The SPPB better discriminated frailty in elderly with higher socioeconomic conditions (Saint Bruno). Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 421–428.