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The Tilburg Frailty Indicator: psychometric properties
Robbert J J Gobbens1, Marcel A L M van Assen, Katrien G Luijkx
1Department of Tranzo Academic Centre for Transformation in Care and Welfare, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands. r.j.j.gobbens@uvt.nl
Summary
The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) shows good reliability and validity for assessing frailty in older adults. This self-report tool accurately measures physical, psychological, and social domains of frailty.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychometrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Frailty is a significant concern in older populations, impacting health outcomes and quality of life.
- Accurate measurement of frailty is crucial for timely interventions and care planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) in community-dwelling older adults.
- To assess the TFI's construct validity and predictive validity for adverse outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, community-based study involving two samples of individuals aged 75 years and older.
- The TFI was validated against various established measures of physical function, cognitive status, mental health, and social support.
Main Results:
- The TFI demonstrated good test-retest reliability (0.79 for frailty).
- Convergent and divergent construct validity were confirmed through correlations with validated instruments.
- The TFI showed good predictive validity for quality of life and adverse outcomes like disability and care needs.
Conclusions:
- The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) possesses strong psychometric properties for use in older community-dwelling populations.
- Findings support an integrated definition of frailty encompassing physical, psychological, and social dimensions.
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