Ulrike Junius-Walker1, Graziano Onder2, Dagmar Soleymani3, Birgitt Wiese4, Olatz Albaina5, Roberto Bernabei6, Emanuele Marzetti7. 1. Institute of General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: junius-walker.ulrike@mh-hannover.de. 2. Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopaedics, Teaching Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: graziano.onder@unicatt.it. 3. Santé publique France, 14 rue du Val d'Osne, 94140 Saint-Maurice, France. Electronic address: dagmar.soleymani@santepubliquefrance.fr. 4. Institute of General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: wiese.birgitt@mh-hannover.de. 5. Association Centre of International Excellence on Research in Chronicity (Kronikgune), Bilbao Exhibition Centre, Ronda de Azkue 1, Barakaldo 48902, Basque Country, Spain. Electronic address: oalbaina@kronikgune.org. 6. Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopaedics, Teaching Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.bernabei@unicatt.it. 7. Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopaedics, Teaching Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: emanuele.marzetti@policlinicogemelli.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: One of the major threats looming over the growing older population is frailty. It is a distinctive health state characterised by increased vulnerability to internal and external stressors. Although the presence of frailty is well acknowledged, its concept and operationalisation are hampered by the extraordinary phenotypical and biological complexity. Yet, a widely accepted conception is needed to offer tailored policies and approaches. The ADVANTAGE Group aims to analyse the diverse frailty concepts to uncover the essence of frailty as a basis for a shared understanding. METHOD: A systematic literature review was performed on frailty concepts and definitions from 2010 onwards. Eligible publications were reviewed using concept analysis that led to the extraction of text data for the themes "definition", "attributes", "antecedents", "consequences", and "related concepts". Qualitative description was used to further analyse the extracted text passages, leading to inductively developed categories on the essence of frailty. RESULTS: 78 publications were included in the review, and 996 relevant text passages were extracted for analysis. Five components constituted a comprehensive definition: vulnerability, genesis, features, characteristics, and adverse outcomes. Each component is described in more detail by a set of defining and explanatory criteria. An underlying functional perspective of health or its impairments is most compatible with the entity of frailty. DISCUSSION: The recent findings facilitate a focus on the relevant building blocks that define frailty. They point to the commonalities of the diverse frailty concepts and definitions. Based on these components, a widely accepted broad definition of frailty comes into range.
BACKGROUND: One of the major threats looming over the growing older population is frailty. It is a distinctive health state characterised by increased vulnerability to internal and external stressors. Although the presence of frailty is well acknowledged, its concept and operationalisation are hampered by the extraordinary phenotypical and biological complexity. Yet, a widely accepted conception is needed to offer tailored policies and approaches. The ADVANTAGE Group aims to analyse the diverse frailty concepts to uncover the essence of frailty as a basis for a shared understanding. METHOD: A systematic literature review was performed on frailty concepts and definitions from 2010 onwards. Eligible publications were reviewed using concept analysis that led to the extraction of text data for the themes "definition", "attributes", "antecedents", "consequences", and "related concepts". Qualitative description was used to further analyse the extracted text passages, leading to inductively developed categories on the essence of frailty. RESULTS: 78 publications were included in the review, and 996 relevant text passages were extracted for analysis. Five components constituted a comprehensive definition: vulnerability, genesis, features, characteristics, and adverse outcomes. Each component is described in more detail by a set of defining and explanatory criteria. An underlying functional perspective of health or its impairments is most compatible with the entity of frailty. DISCUSSION: The recent findings facilitate a focus on the relevant building blocks that define frailty. They point to the commonalities of the diverse frailty concepts and definitions. Based on these components, a widely accepted broad definition of frailty comes into range.
Authors: Eric Lenouvel; Lan Novak; Andreas Biedermann; Reto W Kressig; Stefan Klöppel Journal: Z Gerontol Geriatr Date: 2021-09-29 Impact factor: 1.292
Authors: Mathias Schlögl; Anand S Iyer; Florian Riese; David Blum; Lanier O'Hare; Tejaswini Kulkarni; Sophie Pautex; Jan Schildmann; Keith M Swetz; Pallavi Kumar; Christopher A Jones Journal: J Palliat Med Date: 2021-07-14 Impact factor: 2.947