Development and Testing a Measure of Experienced Frailty for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)

Rianne Golbach; Johannes Hobbelen; Wim Krijnen; Harriët Jager-Wittenaar; Evelyn Finnema

doi:10.1177/30495334261420369

Development and Testing a Measure of Experienced Frailty for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)

Rianne Golbach, Johannes Hobbelen, Wim Krijnen, Harriët Jager-Wittenaar, Evelyn Finnema

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a measurement instrument of frailty experiences, the Frailty Experiences Scale, in community-dwelling older adults and test its psychometric properties. The process involved three steps: expert sessions (n = 10) to assess face and content validity; think-aloud interviews (n = 5) with older adults > 60 years to check feasibility and comprehensibility; and testing the scale (N = 187) among older adults (71.9 ± 7.8; 65% female; 70.4% highly educated) to assess internal consistency and structure. The layout and instructions facilitated easy administration. Factor analysis confirmed the four-dimension structure (physical, psychological, social, and cognitive) and showed good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .872). Items six, nine, and 16 were removed due to poor contribution, low or negative factor loadings. The cognitive subscale contributed the least. The Frailty Experiences Scale is a feasible and reliable instrument for measuring experienced frailty in older adults, with promising implications for research and practice.

Translated title of the contribution	Ontwikkeling en testen van een meetinstrument naar ervaren kwetsbaarheid van zelfstandigwonende ouderen: The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)
Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Volume	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/30495334261420369
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 9 Feb 2026

Keywords

frailty
experiences of vulnerability
ageing
Questionnaire development
measuring instrument

Research Focus Areas Hanze University of Applied Sciences * (mandatory by Hanze)

Healthy Ageing

Research Focus Areas Research Centre or Centre of Expertise * (mandatory by Hanze)

Frailty and adequate care

Publinova themes

Other
Health

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title = "Development and Testing a Measure of Experienced Frailty for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)",

abstract = "This study aimed to develop a measurement instrument of frailty experiences, the Frailty Experiences Scale, in community-dwelling older adults and test its psychometric properties. The process involved three steps: expert sessions (n = 10) to assess face and content validity; think-aloud interviews (n = 5) with older adults > 60 years to check feasibility and comprehensibility; and testing the scale (N = 187) among older adults (71.9 ± 7.8; 65\% female; 70.4\% highly educated) to assess internal consistency and structure. The layout and instructions facilitated easy administration. Factor analysis confirmed the four-dimension structure (physical, psychological, social, and cognitive) and showed good reliability (Cronbach{\textquoteright}s alpha = .872). Items six, nine, and 16 were removed due to poor contribution, low or negative factor loadings. The cognitive subscale contributed the least. The Frailty Experiences Scale is a feasible and reliable instrument for measuring experienced frailty in older adults, with promising implications for research and practice.",

keywords = "kwetsbaarheid, Kwetsbaarheidservaringen, veroudering, Vragenlijst ontwikkeling, meetinstrument, frailty, experiences of vulnerability, ageing, Questionnaire development, measuring instrument",

author = "Rianne Golbach and Johannes Hobbelen and Wim Krijnen and Harri{\"e}t Jager-Wittenaar and Evelyn Finnema",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1177/30495334261420369",

language = "English",

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T1 - Development and Testing a Measure of Experienced Frailty for Community-Dwelling Older Adults

T2 - The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)

AU - Golbach, Rianne

AU - Hobbelen, Johannes

AU - Krijnen, Wim

AU - Jager-Wittenaar, Harriët

AU - Finnema, Evelyn

PY - 2026/2/9

Y1 - 2026/2/9

N2 - This study aimed to develop a measurement instrument of frailty experiences, the Frailty Experiences Scale, in community-dwelling older adults and test its psychometric properties. The process involved three steps: expert sessions (n = 10) to assess face and content validity; think-aloud interviews (n = 5) with older adults > 60 years to check feasibility and comprehensibility; and testing the scale (N = 187) among older adults (71.9 ± 7.8; 65% female; 70.4% highly educated) to assess internal consistency and structure. The layout and instructions facilitated easy administration. Factor analysis confirmed the four-dimension structure (physical, psychological, social, and cognitive) and showed good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .872). Items six, nine, and 16 were removed due to poor contribution, low or negative factor loadings. The cognitive subscale contributed the least. The Frailty Experiences Scale is a feasible and reliable instrument for measuring experienced frailty in older adults, with promising implications for research and practice.

AB - This study aimed to develop a measurement instrument of frailty experiences, the Frailty Experiences Scale, in community-dwelling older adults and test its psychometric properties. The process involved three steps: expert sessions (n = 10) to assess face and content validity; think-aloud interviews (n = 5) with older adults > 60 years to check feasibility and comprehensibility; and testing the scale (N = 187) among older adults (71.9 ± 7.8; 65% female; 70.4% highly educated) to assess internal consistency and structure. The layout and instructions facilitated easy administration. Factor analysis confirmed the four-dimension structure (physical, psychological, social, and cognitive) and showed good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .872). Items six, nine, and 16 were removed due to poor contribution, low or negative factor loadings. The cognitive subscale contributed the least. The Frailty Experiences Scale is a feasible and reliable instrument for measuring experienced frailty in older adults, with promising implications for research and practice.

KW - kwetsbaarheid

KW - Kwetsbaarheidservaringen

KW - veroudering

KW - Vragenlijst ontwikkeling

KW - meetinstrument

KW - frailty

KW - experiences of vulnerability

KW - ageing

KW - Questionnaire development

KW - measuring instrument

U2 - 10.1177/30495334261420369

DO - 10.1177/30495334261420369

M3 - Article

SN - 2333-7214

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

JF - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

ER -

Development and Testing a Measure of Experienced Frailty for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Frailty Experiences Scale (FES)

Abstract

Keywords

Research Focus Areas Hanze University of Applied Sciences * (mandatory by Hanze)

Research Focus Areas Research Centre or Centre of Expertise * (mandatory by Hanze)

Publinova themes

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