Validity and Reliability of the Turkish version of the Five Item Social Frailty Scale

Social frailty, defined by reduced social participation, isolation, and loss of self-sufficiency, represents a critical dimension of overall frailty in older adults. This study aimed to translate the five item social frailty scale (SFS) into Turkish and evaluate its psychometric properties among community-dwelling older adults.

A total of 308 participants aged ≥65 years were included. Individuals with dementia, active malignancy, infection, or difficulty communicating in Turkish were excluded. All participants underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment, including evaluation of demographics and comorbidities. The SFS was translated using a standardized forward–backward procedure and pretested in 15 participants. Internal consistency, factor structure, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were assessed. Construct validity was examined via correlations between SFS scores and geriatric assessment measures.

The mean age was 74.8±6.2 years, with 49% female. Social frailty distribution was 46.4% robust, 34.1% pre-frail, and 19.5% frail. Social frailty was less common among women, married individuals, and those engaging in regular physical activity. Social frailty scale scores correlated positively with depression and clinical frailty and negatively with cognitive function and daily activities (p<0.001). Inter- and intrarater reliability were excellent (κ=0.85–0.90, p<0.001). Cronbach’s α was 0.655. Principal component analysis (PCA) supported a unidimensional structure explaining 33.5% of the total variance.

The Turkish SFS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing social frailty in older adults and can be confidently applied in clinical and research settings.