Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Nursing Home Residents According to Intrinsic Capacity Proposed by the World Health Organization

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the domains of intrinsic capacity (ie, cognition, locomotion, sensory, vitality, and psychosocial) proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 3-year adverse health outcomes of nursing home residents. Methods: A 3-year incidence of mortality, falls, repeated falls, and autonomy decline (ie, a one-unit increase in the Katz score) was assessed in a cohort of Belgian nursing home residents. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). For locomotion, balance, gait speed and chair stand performance were evaluated by the Short Physical Performance Battery test. The sensory domain was measured using the Strawbridge questionnaire for audition and vision. For vitality, abdominal circumference, body mass index, nutritional status (by Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA]) and handgrip strength were assessed. Psychosocial status was evaluated by the EQ-5D and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Missing data were handled by multiple imputations. Cox proportional hazard models, logistic regressions, and analysis of variance were used for the analyses. Results: In the multivariable model, a one-unit increase in balance performance and in the nutrition score decreased the probability of death by 12% (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.99) and 4% (HR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.93-0.99), respectively. The risk of falling decreased when there was a one-unit increase in balance performance (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.79-0.96) and in the nutrition score (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.98). No association was found for intrinsic capacity and repeated falls. Low scores in nutrition (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96) were associated with a higher probability of autonomy decline. Conclusion: Some domains of intrinsic capacity predicted health outcomes among nursing home residents. Nutrition and balance should be regularly checked among this population.