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Intrinsic capacity and hospitalization among older adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study

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An Editorial to this article was published on 30 April 2024

Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

We aimed to investigate the association of the intrinsic capacity (IC) composite measure and the vitality, locomotor, cognitive, sensory, and psychological IC domains with hospitalization in the previous year and length of hospital stay.

AbstractSection Findings

Participants with high IC composite scores were less likely to have experienced hospitalizations in the previous year and long hospital stays. The vitality domain was a critical marker for both hospitalization and length of hospital stay. Cognitive and psychological domains were associated with hospitalization, and the locomotor domain was related to length of stay.

AbstractSection Message

IC is a valuable tool for monitoring the health of community-dwelling older adults. This approach introduces the opportunity for preventive measures and is promising in promoting integrated care for older people.

Abstract

Purpose

Monitoring intrinsic capacity (IC) in community-dwelling older people can be potentially used to alert for adverse health outcomes. However, whether there is an association between IC and hospitalization has yet to be fully explored. This study aimed to investigate the association of the IC composite measure and its 5 domains with hospitalization in the previous year and length of hospital stay.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional analyses using data from a representative sample of community-dwelling adults (≥ 65 years). We assessed the IC domains (vitality, locomotor, cognitive, sensory, and psychological) using validated self-reported information and performance tests. We calculated standardized estimated scores (z scores) for IC composite measure and domains and conducted multivariate logistic and ordinal regressions. The primary outcomes were hospitalizations in the previous year and length of hospital stay.

Results

In a sample of 5354 participants (mean age = 73 ± 6 years), we found that participants with high IC composite z scores were less likely to have experienced hospitalization in the previous year (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.44–0.58). Among those who were hospitalized, high IC scores were associated with short stays (OR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.80–0.95). Cognitive and psychological domains were associated with hospitalizations, and the locomotor domain was related to length of hospital stay. The vitality domain was associated with both outcomes.

Conclusion

IC as a composite measure was associated with previous hospitalizations and length of stay. IC can help clinicians identify older people prone to adverse outcomes, prompting preventive integrated care interventions.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank Professors Daniele Sirineu, Anita Liberalesso Neri, and Roberto Lourenço for their leadership in the FIBRA Network and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel–CAPES for the scholarship grant given to Elisângela Cristina Ramos Hernandes.

Funding

This research received financial support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development–CNPq, MCT-CNPq/MS-SCTIE-DECIT (protocol number 17/2006). Professor Monica Rodrigues Perracini received a research productivity grant from CNPq (grant number 307550/2022–2).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Masters’ and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, Rua Cesáreo Galeno, 448, Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, Brazil

    Elisângela Cristina Ramos Hernandes & Monica Rodrigues Perracini

  2. Laboratorio de Investigaçao Medica em Envelhecimento (LIM-66), Serviço de Geriatria, Hospital das Clinicas, Disciplina de Geriatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Márlon Juliano Romero Aliberti & Eduardo Ferriolli

  3. Research Institute, Hospital Sirio-Libanes, São Paulo, Brazil

    Márlon Juliano Romero Aliberti

  4. Department of Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

    Ricardo Oliveira Guerra

  5. Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Gerontology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    Monica Rodrigues Perracini

Authors
  1. Elisângela Cristina Ramos Hernandes
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  3. Ricardo Oliveira Guerra
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Contributions

ECRH: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, data curation and writing. MA: writing, review and editing. ROG: review, validation. EF: review, validation. MRP: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, data curation, writing and supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Monica Rodrigues Perracini.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ribeirão Preto Clinical Hospital and Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, 5018/2007.

Informed consent

All participants provided informed consent as approved by the Ribeirão Preto Clinical Hospital and Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, 5018/2007.

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Hernandes, E.C.R., Aliberti, M.J.R., Guerra, R.O. et al. Intrinsic capacity and hospitalization among older adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study. Eur Geriatr Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-024-00933-y

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