Associations Between Intrinsic Capacity and Adverse Events Among Nursing Home Residents: The INCUR Study

The predictive ability of the novel intrinsic capacity (IC) construct has been scarcely investigated in the nursing home setting. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations of IC and its individual domains with mortality, hospitalization, pneumonia onset, and functional status decline in a population of nursing home residents (NHRs).

We undertook an analysis using data from the INCUR study, a prospective observational study. Data were collected at baseline, at 6 and 12 months by trained staff.

A total of 371 NHRs (mean age 85.91 ± 7.34) dwelling in Southern France.

A baseline IC composite score was constructed from scores in the Short Physical Performance Battery, Abbreviated Mental Test, 10-item Geriatric Depression Scale, The Short Form of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment, and self-reported hearing and vision impairments. Adverse outcomes were registered by medical records checking. Functional status evolution was evaluated through changes in the Katz Index. Cox regression was used for associations between IC and its domains and adverse outcomes. Linear mixed models were used in the case of functional status evolution.

Our analysis revealed associations between a composite score of IC and death [hazard ratio 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15-0.73] and functional status evolution (β = 0.14; 95% CI 0.018-0.29) in our population. Although greater values in IC vitality/nutrition domain were associated with survival (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.70-0.99), IC cognitive domain was associated with decreased odds of hospitalization (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.99) and lower declines in functional status (β = 0.04; 95% CI 0.01-0.07), whereas the IC locomotion domain was inversely associated with pneumonia incidence (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72-0.98).

Our results contribute to preliminary evidence linking greater IC levels and lower risk of late-life adverse outcomes.