Associations between multidimensional frailty and quality of life among Dutch older people

Purpose: To examine the associations between components of physical, psychological and social frailty with quality of life among older people.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of Dutch citizens. A total of 671 people aged 70 years or older completed a web-based questionnaire ('the Senioren Barometer'). This questionnaire contained the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) for measuring physical, psychological and social frailty, and the WHOQOL-OLD for measuring six quality of life facets (sensory abilities, autonomy, past, present and future activities, social participation, death and dying, intimacy) and quality of life total.

Results: Nine of fifteen individual frailty components had an effect on at least one facet of quality of life and quality of life total, after controlling for socio-demographic factors, multimorbidity and the other frailty components. Of these nine components five, two and two refer to physical, psychological and social frailty, respectively. Feeling down was the only frailty component associated with all quality of life facets and quality of life total. Both physical inactivity and lack of social relations were associated with four quality of life facets and quality of life total.

Conclusion: This study showed that quality of life in older people is associated with physical, psychological and social frailty components, emphasizing the importance of a multidimensional assessment of frailty. Health care and welfare professionals should in particular pay attention to feeling down, physical inactivity and lack of social relations among older people, because their relation with quality of life seems to be the strongest.