Last update:
17-Jan-2023

OBJECTIVE Translation, intercultural adaptation and testing of the psychometric validity of the Frailty Index for Elders (FIFE) questionnaire in a form capable of measuring the vulnerability/fragility of the elderly Greek-speaking population.

METHOD The original version of the FIFE questionnaire was translated into Greek and submitted to pilot testing. The answers on the FIFE questionnaire were correlated with the answers on the questionnaires already validated for the Greek population, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Falls efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). The internal consistency was determined by the Cronbach α indicator. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were used to investigate the conformity of the answers. Τhe Pearson (r) rate was selected to test the correlation of two quantitative variables. Confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood procedures was used to check the validity of the structure and to confirm the factors of the questionnaire, including the adjustment indicators: comparative fit index (CFI), goodness of fit index (GFI) and root means square error of approximation (RMSEA). The statistical programs Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0 and AMOS were used for the analysis.

RESULTS Quantitative data were collected using anonymously administered questionnaires in a convenience sample of 300 people with a mean age of 72.1±10.8 years. The internal consistency for the overall FIFE score were considered sufficient (0.78) and the pilot study (test-retest) showed a satisfactory result, with ICC 0.90. The validity of the structure was analyzed with the Pearson correlation coefficient for correlation of all the dimensions of the already validated Greek SF-36 and FES-I and the total score, with the FIFE questionnaire, and the results were considered satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONS The Greek version of the FIFE questionnaire shows good reliability and validity. The questionnaire was considered as efficient when used with the Greek population as the original version, completely understandable and acceptable for use with the population sample examined. The required completion time was five minutes. FIFE is a reliable/trustworthy and easy-to-use tool for early detection of vulnerability, with the goal of developing appropriate intervention strategies and rehabilitation practices in the elderly.

Key words: Adjustment of questionnaire, Ageing, Frailty, Quality of life.