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Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI)

Frailty is an indicator of risk of poor health outcomes (e.g. mortality, institutionalization, hospitalization, and functional decline) in elderly people (section: elderly).

The Groningen Frailty Indicator is a self-assessment instrument designed to measure frailty in the elderly from a multidimensional perspective. The GFI was validated in the population of elderly participants in Lifelines¹⁾.

The GFI was filled in by ~10,000 elderly participants in 1A Questionnaire 1 and by ~12,000 elderly participants in follow-up questionnaire 1B. A modified GFI was implemented in the COVID-19 additional questionnaires

The following GFI-variables were collected in the context of various general questionnaires:

Questions English	Questions Dutch	Code	Variable	Assessment	Age
shopping / are you able to carry out the following tasks single-handedly and without any help (except perhaps a walking stick, walking frame, or wheelchair)	de boodschappen doen / kunt u zonder enige hulp van iemand anders zelfstandig, eventueel met behulp van stok, rollator of rolstoel:	gfi_tasks_adu_q_01_a	GFI1A	1A 1B 3B	65+
dressing and undressing / are you able to carry out the following tasks single-handedly and without any help (except perhaps a walking stick, walking frame, or wheelchair)	zichzelf aan en uitkleden / kunt u zonder enige hulp van iemand anders zelfstandig, eventueel met behulp van stok, rollator of rolstoel:	gfi_tasks_adu_q_01_b	GFI1B	1A 1B 3B	65+
walking around outside (around the house or to the neighbors) / are you able to carry out the following tasks single-handedly and without any help (except perhaps a walking stick, walking frame, or wheelchair)	zich buitenshuis verplaatsen (rondom huis, naar buren) / kunt u zonder enige hulp van iemand anders zelfstandig, eventueel met behulp van stok, rollator of rolstoel:	gfi_tasks_adu_q_01_c	GFI1C	1A 1B 3B	65+
going to the toilet / are you able to carry out the following tasks single-handedly and without any help (except perhaps a walking stick, walking frame, or wheelchair)	naar het toilet gaan / kunt u zonder enige hulp van iemand anders zelfstandig, eventueel met behulp van stok, rollator of rolstoel:	gfi_tasks_adu_q_01_d	GFI1D	1A 1B 3B	65+
what mark do you give yourself for physical fitness? (scale 0 to 10)	welk rapportcijfer geeft u zichzelf voor hoe fit u zich voelt? (van 0 tot 10)	gfi_fitness_adu_q_02	GFI2	1B 3B	65+
do you experience problems in daily life because of poor vision?	heeft u problemen in het dagelijks leven door slecht zien?	gfi_vision_adu_q_03	GFI3	1B 3B	65+
do you experience problems in daily life because of being hard of hearing?	heeft u problemen in het dagelijks leven door slecht horen?	gfi_hearing_adu_q_04	GFI4	1B 3B	65+
have you recently lost a lot of weight unwillingly? (6 kg in 6 months or 3 kg in one month)	bent u in de afgelopen periode veel afgevallen zonder dit te willen (6 kg in 6 maanden of 3 kg in één maand)	gfi_weightloss_adu_q_05	GFI5	1B 3B	65+
do you take 4 or more different types of medicine?	gebruikt u momenteel 4 of meer verschillende soorten medicijnen?	gfi_medication_adu_q_06	GFI6	1B 3B	65+
do you have any complaints about your memory?	hebt u klachten over uw geheugen?	gfi_memory_adu_q_07	GFI7	1A 1B 3B	65+
do you ever experience emptiness around you?	ervaart u wel eens een leegte om u heen?	gfi_emotions_adu_q_08	GFI8	1B 3B	65+
do you ever miss people around you?	mist u wel eens mensen om u heen?	gfi_emotions_adu_q_09	GFI9	1B 3B	65+
do you ever feel let down?	voelt u zich wel eens in de steek gelaten?	gfi_emotions_adu_q_10	GFI10	1B 3B	65+
have you felt gloomy or depressed recently?	heeft u zich de laatste tijd somber of neerslachtig gevoeld?	gfi_emotions_adu_q_11	GFI11	1B 3B	65+
have you felt nervous or afraid recently?	heeft u zich de laatste tijd nerveus of angstig gevoeld?	gfi_emotions_adu_q_12	GFI12	1B 3B	65+

¹⁾

Peters, L.L. et al. (2015). Construct validity of the Groningen Frailty Indicator established in a large sample of home-dwelling elderly persons: Evidence of stability across age and gender. Exp. Gerontol. 69, 129–141