Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Groningen Frailty Indicator among Lebanese elderly people

Relationship between Lifestyle and Frailty among Iranian Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Pilot Study

Background

Aging affects physical, mental, and social functions, which can lead to an increase in frailty. Old adults with frailty syndrome are prone to disabilities and hospitalization. Lifestyle is a context-based factor that has the potential to prevent frailty.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the relationship between lifestyle and frailty among Iranian community-dwelling older adults.

Design Setting

This is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. The participants were 513 older adults over 60 years by the convenience sampling method from the retirement center.

Measurements

Data were collected using Tilberg's frailty index, the Iranian elderly lifestyle questionnaire, and the Mini-Cog test. Data were analyzed with SPSS v.26 software by chi-square and logistic regression tests.

Results

The age of the participants was 66.43 ± 4.69 years. The male-to-female sex ratio was 1.5 (39.2% women). The lifestyle of 96 (19.3%) old adults was unfavorable. 18.7 percent of older adults had Frailty syndrome. The logistic regression test showed that moderate and favorable lifestyle (OR= 0.06; 95% CI: 0.02-0.16), age over 75 years (OR= 5.25; 95% CI: 2.35-11.69), retired employment status (OR= 0.13; 95% CI: 0.29-0.05) are factors that have a significant relationship with frailty (P< 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings showed that lifestyle can predict frailty. Therefore, it seems that an optimal lifestyle can prevent the frailty of older adults.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures in Arabic speaking countries: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly recognized as an indicator of healthcare quality and safety. Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in using PROMs in Arabic-speaking populations. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the quality of their cross-cultural adaptation (CCA) and measurement properties.

OBJECTIVES

To identify PROMs that have been developed, validated or cross-culturally adapted to Arabic and evaluate methodological qualities of CCA and measurement properties.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, IPA, and ISI Web of Science were searched using search terms 'PROMs', 'Arabic countries', 'CCA', and 'psychometric properties'. Measurement properties were evaluated using COSMIN quality criteria and CCA quality was assessed using the Oliveria rating method.

RESULTS

This review included 260 studies with 317 PROMs, focusing on psychometric testing (83.8%), CCA (75.8%), utilizing PROMs as outcome measures (13.4%), and developing PROMs (2.3%). Out of the 201 cross-culturally adapted PROMs, forward translation was the most frequently reported component of CCA (n = 178), followed by back translation (n = 174). Out of the 235 PROMs that reported measurement properties, internal consistency was the most frequently reported measurement property (n = 214), followed by reliability (n = 160) and hypotheses testing (n = 143). Other measurement properties were less reported, including responsiveness (n = 36), criterion validity (n = 22), measurement error (n = 12), and cross-cultural validity (n = 10). The strongest measurement property was hypotheses testing (n = 143), followed by reliability (n = 132).

CONCLUSION

There are several caveats regarding the quality of CCA and measurement properties of PROMs included in this review. Only 1 out of 317 Arabic PROMs met CCA and psychometric optimal quality criteria. Therefore, there is a need to improve the methodological quality of CCA and measurement properties of PROMs. This review provides valuable information for researchers and clinicians when choosing PROMs for practice and research. There were only 5 treatment-specific PROMs, indicating the necessity for more research focusing on development and CCA of such measures.

Prevalence of Frailty in the Middle East: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) We aimed to systematically search available data on the prevalence of frailty among community-dwelling elders in Middle Eastern countries. The results from available studies are cumulated to provide comprehensive evidence for the prevalence of frailty. (2) Methods: A meta-analysis was done. A literature search was carried out using PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS websites for studies up to 2020. Inclusion criteria entailed all primary studies conducted in Middle Eastern countries on frailty in community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and older. (3) Results: A total of 10 studies were selected for this study. Random-effects meta-analysis of nine studies indicated there was a pooled prevalence rate of 0.3924 with a standard error of 0.037. This pooled prevalence point estimate of 0.3924 was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The Egger’s regression test and the trim-fill method for detecting publication bias did not detect any evidence of publication bias in the sample of included studies. The Egger’s regression test was not statistically significant. The trim-fill method indicated zero studies were missing on either side; (4) Conclusions: The study’s findings indicate that the prevalence of frailty is higher in Middle Eastern nations. Despite indications that many of these nations’ populations are rapidly ageing, we presently lack information on the incidence of frailty in these populations; this information is essential to health, policymakers, and social care planning.