• Shu-Fang Chang and Gi-Mi Wen.
• School of Nursing, College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
• J Clin Nurs. 2016 Aug 1; 25 (15-16): 2305-16.

Aims And ObjectivesTo examine the independent effect of frailty on quality of life.BackgroundThe World Health Organisation has proposed that frailty be used to indicate a lack of successful ageing. However, studies investigating the relationship between frail phenotypes and quality of life are lacking.DesignThis research employed a cross-sectional design.MethodsThe Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index was used based on the following three criteria: unexpected weight loss, inability to rise from a chair without using the armrests five times, and feeling a lack of energy. Participants who fulfilled more than two, one or zero criteria were considered as frail, prefrail or robust respectively. Moreover, this study used the Taiwanese version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF to assess the quality of life of older people. A multiple linear regression was performed to investigate the independent effect of frail status on each quality of life subscale.ResultsA total of 239 older people [average age = 74·77 years; standard deviation = 7·02 years; 104 males (43·5%) and 135 females (56·5%)] participated in this study. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the older people who were more advanced in age and had been diagnosed with a greater number of chronic diseases had a lower comprehensive quality of life. The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index was associated only with the environmental domain of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF.ConclusionsCompared with robust and prefrail older people, frail older people have worse biomarkers, health statuses, and quality of life. The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index was correlated only with the quality of life environmental domain.Relevance To Clinical PracticeProfessional nurses must understand the differences among frail, prefrail and robust older people with regard to their biomarkers, health status, and quality of life. In addition, a comprehensive nursing intervention programme must be developed to improve the quality of life of older people.© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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