Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the social frailty scale in Iranian older adults

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2024-04, Vol.24 (1), p.368-368, Article 368
• Main Authors: Zare, Hanieh, Tagharrobi, Zahra, Zare, Mohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adults; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alternative approaches; Analysis; Cognitive ability; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Data collection; Diagnosis; Female; Frail elderly; Frail Elderly - psychology; Frailty; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - psychology; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Gerontology; Health; Health aspects; Health facilities; Humans; Interpersonal relations; Iran; Male; Measurement errors; Measures; Middle Aged; Older people; Principal components analysis; Psychological aspects; Psychometrics; Psychometrics - methods; Psychometrics - standards; Quantitative analysis; Quantitative psychology; Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results; Risk factors; Sample size; Social Determinants of Health; Social networks; Social organization; Statistical sampling; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; Translations; Validity
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04940-3

Social frailty is a holistic concept encompassing various social determinants of health. Considering its importance and impact on health-related outcomes in older adults, the present study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Social Frailty Scale in Iranian older adults in 2023. This was a methodological study. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Social Frailty Scale 8-item (SFS-8) was conducted according to Wild's guideline. Content and face validity were assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Then, 250 older adults covered by comprehensive health centers were selected using multistage random sampling. Participants completed the demographic questionnaire, the Abbreviated Mental Test score, the SFS-8, and the Lubben Social Network Scale. Construct validity was assessed by principal component analysis (PCA) and known-group comparisons. The Mann‒Whitney U test was used to compare social frailty scores between the isolated and non-isolated older adults. Internal consistency, equivalence, and stability were assessed using the Kuder-Richardson method, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the minimum detectable change (MDC). The ceiling and floor effects were also assessed. The data were analyzed using JASP 0.17.3. The ratio and index of content validity and the modified kappa coefficient of all the items were 1.00. The impact score of the items was greater than 4.6. PCA identified the scale as a single component by removing two questions that could explain 52.9% of the total variance in the scale score. The Persian version of the Social Frailty Scale could distinguish between isolated and non-isolated older adults (p