Screening for pre-clinical disability in different residential settings

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Disability Prevention Research

Background:

• Early identification of individuals at risk of progressive disablement is crucial for effective intervention in older populations.
• Identifying functionally similar groups from diverse community settings benefits research into aging and disability.
• The study addresses the need for reliable screening tools to detect pre-clinical disability in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the utility of a pre-clinical disability screening tool in selecting a functionally comparable group of older adults with early functional limitation.
• To explore factors associated with function and disability in older adults identified with pre-clinical disability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Fried pre-clinical disability tool for screening a sample of 471 older adults.
• Assessed self-reported function and disability using the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument.
• Collected physical performance measurements and compared them across residential settings and gender.

Main Results:

• The screening tool successfully identified a sample with a comparable functional status and disability profile, indicative of early functional limitation.
• Functional status and disability profiles were consistent across different residential settings and genders.
• Statistical models identified factors associated with function and disability, explaining more variation in function than disability.

Conclusions:

• The Fried pre-clinical disability screening tool effectively selected a comparable group of older adults in the pre-clinical stage of disability.
• The tool demonstrates confidence for use in research, clinical practice, and population health initiatives.
• Findings provide insights into impairment factors in early functional loss, informing disability prevention strategies.