Robustness in Older Adults: A Concept Analysis Using Rodgers' Evolutionary Approach

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Science
• Concept Analysis

Background:

• The increasing population of healthy older adults highlights the need to understand individual differences in adaptability and health.
• Robustness is a key concept but lacks a consistent definition across healthcare disciplines, requiring conceptual clarification.
• Existing definitions are fragmented, hindering the development of standardized assessment and intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an evolutionary concept analysis of robustness in older adults.
• To clarify the definition, attributes, antecedents, and consequences of robustness.
• To differentiate robustness from related concepts like successful aging and resilience.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across four major healthcare databases (PubMed, CINAHL Complete, EMBASE, Scopus) and Google Scholar.
• Application of the evolutionary concept analysis method to identify key conceptual elements.
• Extraction and analysis of data from 31 relevant studies, excluding gray literature.

Main Results:

• Identified three core attributes of robustness: multidimensional vitality, resilient stability, and functional autonomy.
• Determined antecedents including socioeconomic resources, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and social support networks.
• Established consequences such as enhanced quality of life, reduced healthcare utilization, and decreased mortality.

Conclusions:

• Robustness is a distinct concept, separate from successful aging, non-frailty, intrinsic capacity, and resilience.
• Established conceptual boundaries for robustness provide a theoretical framework for measurement tool development and personalized interventions.
• This analysis facilitates a shift towards individualized assessment and care strategies for older adults, moving beyond age-centric models.