Quantifying Physical Resilience in Ageing Using Measurement Instruments: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Health Measurement

Background:

• Physical resilience, the ability to recover motor function despite health issues or aging, lacks standardized measurement.
• Existing instruments for assessing physical resilience in older adults are not fully characterized across all relevant outcome domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review to identify measurement instruments for physical resilience.
• To identify research gaps in the measurement of physical resilience.
• To provide recommendations for future research directions in physical resilience assessment.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search was conducted for articles including the term 'resilience' in relation to older adults' physical health.
• Data extraction focused on outcome domains: body function/structure, activity/participation, and societal impact.
• Measurement instruments were categorized into psychological, physiological, motor function, and psychosocial scales.

Main Results:

• Thirty-three articles were included, primarily focusing on older adults with fractures, cardiac conditions, and cancer.
• Instruments frequently measured body function/structure, with some addressing activity/participation and societal impact.
• A significant gap was identified in instruments capturing the social dimensions of physical resilience.

Conclusions:

• Current measurement instruments for physical resilience are fragmented and do not comprehensively cover all outcome domains.
• A need exists for integrated measurement tools that incorporate psychological, physiological, motor, psychosocial, and social aspects.
• Developing comprehensive measurement strategies can inform targeted interventions to foster resilience and improve rehabilitation outcomes.