IDENTIFICATION OF THE PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF FRAIL OLDER ADULTS AND EFFECTIVITY OF THE HEALTH CHECK-UP QUESTIONNAIRE (KIHON CHECK-LIST)

The purposes of this study were (i) to determine the characteristics of physical function for frail older adults, compared with those for the independent and the dependent, (ii) to examine validity of the “health check-up questionnaire” (Kihon Check-list: CL) for finding frail older adults. Five hundred thirty-nine older Japanese people (75.5 ± 7.0 years) were assigned to each one of the three categories: the independent, the frail and the dependent according to the classification criteria of long-term care insurance system. Physical function score (PFS) was estimated by principal components analysis. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess validity of the CL and to examine the screening tool for detecting frail older adults who have a higher risk for becoming the dependent. Significant differences were observed among the three groups in PFS (the independent, 0.580 ± 0.467; the frail, -0.309 ± 0.733; the dependent -1.347 ± 0.949). The Odds ratio (OR) of the dependent for older adults to whom the CL was applied was 2.4 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3 - 4.5), and the OR for those to whom both the CL and the hand-grip strength test were applied was 5.4 (2.6 - 11.5). These data suggest that the comprehensive status of physical function of frail older adults, which varied widely, was intermediate between the independent and the dependent. It is useful to add the hand-grip strength test to the CL as a screening tool to subdivide frail older adults.