The Prediction of Quality of Life by Frailty and Disability among Dutch Community-Dwelling People Aged 75 Years or Older

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the prediction of quality of life by frailty and disability in a baseline sample of 479 Dutch community-dwelling people aged 75 years or older using a follow-up period of 8 years. Regarding frailty, we distinguish between physical, psychological, and social frailty. Concerning physical disability, we distinguish between limitations in performing activities in daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities in daily living (IADL). The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) were used to assess frailty domains and types of disability, respectively. Quality of life was determined by the WHOQOL-BREF containing physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. In our study, 53.9% of participants were woman, and the mean age was 80.3 years (range 75–93). The study showed that psychological frailty predicted four domains of quality of life and physical frailty three. Social frailty was only found to be a significant predictor of social quality of life and environmental quality of life. ADL and IADL disability proved to be the worst predictors. It is recommended that primary healthcare professionals (e.g., general practitioners, district nurses) focus their interventions primarily on factors that can prevent or delay psychological and physical frailty, thereby ensuring that people’s quality of life does not deteriorate.