Frailty, walking ability and self-rated health in predicting institutionalization: an 18-year follow-up study among Finnish community-dwelling older people

Background In clinical practice, there is a need for an instrument to screen older people at risk of institutionalization. Aims To analyze the association of frailty, walking-ability and self-rated health (SRH) with institutionalization in Finnish community-dwelling older people. Methods In this prospective study with 10- and 18-year follow-ups, frailty was assessed using FRAIL Scale (FS) ( n = 1087), Frailty Index (FI) ( n = 1061) and PRISMA-7 ( n = 1055). Walking ability was assessed as self-reported ability to walk 400 m ( n = 1101). SRH was assessed by a question of general SRH ( n = 1105). Cox regression model was used to analyze the association of the explanatory variables with institutionalization. Results The mean age of the participants was 73.0 (range 64.0‒97.0) years. Prevalence of institutionalization was 40.8%. In unadjusted models, frailty was associated with a higher risk of institutionalization by FS in 10-year follow-up, and FI in both follow-ups. Associations by FI persisted after age- and gender-adjustments in both follow-ups. By PRISMA-7, frailty predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in both follow-ups. In unadjusted models, inability to walk 400 m predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in both follow-ups and after adjustments in 10-year follow-up. Poor SRH predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in unadjusted models in both follow-ups and after adjustments in 10-year follow-up. Discussion Simple self-reported items of walking ability and SRH seemed to be comparable with frailty indexes in predicting institutionalization among community-dwelling older people in 10-year follow-up. Conclusions In clinical practice, self-reported walking ability and SRH could be used to screen those at risk.