Turkish Adaptation of the Frailty Index for Elders: A Methodologic Study.

Background and Purpose: Frailty is an important problem in the aging process and can be prevented or delayed when detected at an early stage. Therefore, appropriate measurement tools are needed to determine frailty. The study aimed to adapt the Frailty Index for Elders (FIFE) into Turkish.Methods: Data were collected from 300 older individuals between January and April 2023. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate the construct validity. The KR-20 reliability coefficient of the factor items was evaluated and interpreted for internal consistency.Results: The reliability coefficient of the scale was .98, item separation (item separation index) was 7.62, and item reliability was .98. The content validity, based on the opinions of seven experts, was found as .85. In general, the relationship between the total scores of the individuals in the first application and the scores of the individuals in the second application was .92.Conclusions: It was concluded that the seven-item single-factor FIFE was a valid and reliable tool to measure the frailty of older individuals living in Turkey.

The relationship and affecting factors between oral health and frailty in the older people: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the connection between oral health and frailty in older people and to determine the affecting factors. DESIGN: The research was a community-based cross-sectional study. SAMPLE: A Family Health Center conducted a study on 321 older people. MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected face-to-face using the Personal Information Form, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, and Edmonton Frailty Scale. Factors affecting oral health and frailty were examined using the MANOVA test and the relationship between them was examined using Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS: It was determined that 52.6% of the participants had poor oral health and 56.1% had different levels of frailty. Education was effective on the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index scale score. The presence of chronic disease, frequency of tooth/denture brushing, age, education, and sex were effective on the Edmonton Frailty Scale. When the partial eta square values were examined, it was determined that the variable that had the highest impact on the GOHAI and EFS scale scores was educational status. It was determined that there was a significant negative relationship between participants' oral health and frailty scores (r = -0.539, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that more than half of the older individuals included in the study had poor subjective oral health and varying levels of frailty. The influencing factors were determined through multivariate advanced analysis. This relationship and affecting factors are important in providing appropriate early detection and care to older people.

The Effect of Using Virtual Reality Glasses on Anxiety and Fatigue in Women with Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pretest-Posttest Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of using virtual reality glasses on anxiety and fatigue in women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. DATA SOURCES: A total of 66 women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The intervention group watched and listened to beach and nature content with virtual reality glasses for 30 minutes. The control group also received standard care. An Introductory Information Form, the State Anxiety Scale, and the Cancer Fatigue Scale were used for data collection. The scales were administered to the groups before the intervention, followed by practice or standard care, and then the scales were re-administered. All patients were evaluated for each cycle over four cycles. CONCLUSION: In the intervention group, the mean post-application anxiety scores decreased compared with the mean pretest scores, and the mean posttest anxiety scores decreased from the first cycle to the last cycle. In addition, the mean post-test anxiety scores of the intervention group were found to be lower in all four cycles than the mean post-test anxiety scores of the control group. In the intervention group, the mean post-test fatigue and subscales scores decreased in all cycles compared with the mean pre-test scores. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This research has shown that the use of virtual reality glasses is effective in reducing anxiety and fatigue scale scores and their subscales in patients with breast cancer. For this reason, it is recommended to introduce the use of virtual reality glasses to patients and to present their use according to patients' preferences.

Relationship Between Frailty and Fatigue in Older Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Older patients with cancer present many symptoms during treatment. One of those symptoms is fatigue, which may be caused by factors unrelated to cancer. One of those factors is frailty increased with age. Frailty and fatigue affect older patients with cancer physically, psychosocially, emotionally, and spiritually. This study investigated the relationship between frailty and fatigue in older patients with cancer. DATA SOURCES: This descriptive study was conducted between July 15, 2019, and February 15, 2020, in the medical oncology polyclinic and the medical oncology outpatient treatment unit of a university hospital. The sample consisted of voluntary 288 patients who met inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), and the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS). CONCLUSION: The mean age of participants was 71.71 ± 5.29 years. Participants had a mean EFS score of 6 ± 3.21. Of participants, 36.1% were not frail, while 20.1% were vulnerable, 19.1% moderately frail, 17.7% mildly frail, and 6.9% severely frail. Participants had a mean CFS score of 21.41 ± 12.25. There was a positive correlation between EFS and CFS scores (P = .000, r = 0.734). Of participants, 63.8% were frail with physical and cognitive fatigue. The higher the frailty, the higher the fatigue. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Elderly patients with cancer appear to be fragile, with frailty causing fatigue and many other conditions. It is important to determine the frailty and fatigue of elderly patients with cancer. It is essential understand the relationship between the frailty and fatigue for effective and correct management of nursing care.