Changes in Frailty Status and Functional Capacity Following a Community-Based Nursing-Led Intervention in Older Women: An Exploratory Uncontrolled Pre-Post Study.

Background/

Objectives

Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome associated with functional decline, dependency, and adverse health outcomes in older adults. Community-based nursing interventions may help prevent or delay frailty by promoting physical activity, health education, and self-care. This exploratory study aimed to describe pre-post changes in frailty status and functional capacity following a community-based nursing intervention among community-dwelling older women.

Methods

An exploratory uncontrolled pre-post study was conducted in Spain. Of 35 community-dwelling, non-institutionalized women aged ≥65 years who underwent baseline assessment, 23 provided complete baseline and post-intervention data and were included in the final pre-post analysis. The intervention consisted of a 16-week nursing programme with weekly group sessions focused on adapted physical exercise, health education, and self-care. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL Scale. Four available components of the Fried phenotype were examined as secondary frailty-related measures. Functional capacity was evaluated using the Barthel Index and the Lawton and Brody Scale.

Results

Among the 23 participants included in the final paired pre-post analysis, the proportion classified as frail according to the FRAIL Scale decreased from 47.8% at baseline to 8.7% at post-intervention assessment, while the proportion classified as robust increased from 17.4% to 30.4%. Nine of the eleven participants classified as frail at baseline moved to a less severe frailty category at follow-up. Frailty status changed significantly across the three FRAIL categories (p < 0.001). Additional analyses showed a decrease in difficulty walking 100 m (43.5% to 8.7%; p = 0.008) and in low physical activity (60.9% to 26.1%; p = 0.021). Functional capacity did not change significantly. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the programme.

Conclusions

Favourable pre-post changes in FRAIL status and selected frailty-related measures were observed among participants who completed the study, while functional capacity remained stable. Given the exploratory uncontrolled design, small analytical sample, and participant attrition, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of intervention effectiveness. Larger controlled studies are required to determine whether the observed changes can be attributed to the intervention.