Ocular frailty: A concept analysis

The concept of ocular frailty remains inadequately defined with respect to its clinical manifestations, etiological pathways, and consequential impacts. We delineate the concept of ocular frailty in order to furnish a well-defined and operationalizable conceptual basis for advancing research in the aging population. A total of 15 articles were included for analysis and synthesis. The attributes of ocular frailty were hypofunction, loss of resilience, association with systemic frailty, potential reversibility or modifiability, and multidimensionality. Antecedents of ocular frailty were classified into 2 categories, namely, sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity. Consequences of ocular frailty include 4 themes: increased risk of adverse outcomes, high tendency for depression, low autonomy, and the possibility of social isolation. Ocular frailty, an age-related manifestation characterized by diminished ocular functional capacity, represents a state of heightened vulnerability in the visual system. The outcomes of this concept analysis facilitate theoretical clarification and operational delineation of ocular frailty. Ocular frailty, clarified through Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis, is defined by its attributes, antecedents, and consequences, providing a structured framework for clinical risk stratification and future research in geriatric populations.