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Consensus on Components of Frailty Using the Delphi Method: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

The concept of frailty has been suggested to comprise physical, mental, and social phenotypes. However, there is no general consensus about the appropriate components for assessing frailty.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to reach consensus on components of frailty assessment using the Delphi process.

Methods

To achieve consensus on the definition of frailty, a modified Delphi method was used. Geriatric and gerontologic experts were selected from various fields. The detailed components of frailty were composed of data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Establishing consensus and collecting opinions from experts were conducted using a modified Delphi method.

Results

Overall, nine domains with 14 components of frailty assessment were accepted. There was consensus on the necessity of a broad phenotype including physical, mental, and social frailty.

Conclusions

Consensus on the components of a frailty assessment in a clinical setting is achieved through the Delphi process to establish a new tool of frailty assessment.

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Acknowledgements

K.J.K., J.C. was responsible for this study’s design. J.C. supervised the study and was responsible for the drafting and revising of the manuscript. J.S., J.C. approved the final manuscript. The data was obtained by K.J.K., J.C, J.S., M.K., and JW. This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korean Health Industry Development Institute (KHTDI), funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HJ15C3153).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, 120-1 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05030, Korea

    K. J. Kim, Jaekyung Choi, J. Shin & M. Kim

  2. Department of Family Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

    C. Won Won

Authors
  1. K. J. Kim
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  2. Jaekyung Choi
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  3. J. Shin
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  4. M. Kim
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  5. C. Won Won
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaekyung Choi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest: All of the authors declare that there were no conflicts of interest.

Ethical standards: Ethics approval for this study was provided by the Institutional Review Board of the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Kyung Hee University Medical Centre, Seoul, Korea (KMC IRB number: 2015-12-103).

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Kim, K.J., Choi, J., Shin, J. et al. Consensus on Components of Frailty Using the Delphi Method: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. J Nutr Health Aging 25, 242–247 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1523-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1523-0

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