28 In addition, according to the integral conceptual model of frailty, where frailty is affected by physical, psychological and social factors, life-course determinants such as sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, life events and environment-related factors can directly influence frailty as well as the onset of diseases that lead to frailty.
36 The TFI is based on an integral conceptual model of frailty, including physical, psychological, and social components of frailty and excluding disability.
Reference: Bortz, W. A Conceptual Framework of Frailty 2002, J. Geron.
Other distinct conceptual models of frailty have also been proposed, which are extensively reviewed elsewhere and will not be discussed here.
EFA provided an initial latent structure of seven first order latent factors and CFA tested the hypothesis and confirmed the General specific model as the choice to form the conceptual basis for frailty in older adults.
The lack of a conceptual model in which frailty is specified results in overestimation and inconsistent identification of frailty in older adults.
Notwithstanding the conceptual, definitional, and measurement issues associated with assessing frailty [ 34], most researchers agree that frailty increases a person's vulnerability to adverse outcomes [ 35], even in the presence of relatively minor stressors [ 36].
Finally, the presented conceptual framework is in line with the observation that frailty is more a constellation of many conditions than a discrete clinical entity [ 22].
Frailty will be operationalised by using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), which is based on the conceptual model of frailty by Gobbens et al. 9 It consists of 15 questions covering different domains: physical, social and psychological frailty.
The most important conceptual challenge was determining what would qualify as literature on frailty.
