Comparison of the Frailty Phenotype and the Korean Version of the FRAIL Scale

Background: Frailty is an important factor in the quality of life, because physical functions decrease with increasing frailty and cannot return to their previous state. This can lead to falls, hospitalization, dependency, and early mortality. However, the definition of and measurement tools for frailty remain unclear. Among these measurement tools, the frailty phenotype and frailty index are commonly used. In Korea, frailty is diagnosed using the Korean version of the FRAIL scale (K-FRAIL scale), which was developed using the frailty phenotype and frailty index. Objectives: The goals of this study were to compare the frailty phenotype and the K-FRAIL scale, and to identify measurement tools that can accurately diagnose frailty in Korea. Methods: Frailty was assessed in 40 older adults aged 65 years or older using the frailty phenotype and the K-FRAIL scale. Results: The prevalence of the frailty phenotype was observed in frail (7.5%), pre-frail (60%), and robust (32.5%) patients. In contrast, the K-FRAIL was observed in frail (0%), prefrail (22.5%), and robust (77.5%) patients. The mean score of the frailty phenotype was higher than the K-FRAIL score (p = 0.00). Conclusions: We identified a difference between the frailty phenotype and K-FRAIL. Collectively, these two measurement tools can provide different measurement frameworks depending on the measurement environment.