Introduction: Intervention strategies for frailty prevention remain an area for further investigation. The of objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the short-term multifactorial preventive program with goal setting and feedback on the physical function and independent living, and to identify characteristics of those who became independent without additional long-term care services.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 295 participants (mean age: 81.4±6.4 years) who were certified as the support required level of Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance and who attended the short-term multifactorial preventive program with goal setting and feedback from April 2019 to March 2024. Frailty status was assessed by the Kihon Check List. Physical function was evaluated using the timed-up & go test (TUG), 5-times sit-to-stand test (SS5), and single-leg standing (SLS). Paired t-test or Wilcoxon test was used for comparisons. Participants were classified as "independent" if they required no additional long-term care services post-program except for the rental of assistive devices and "dependent" otherwise. Group comparisons were conducted using t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or chi-square test.
Results: TUG, SS5, and SLS improved significantly (p<.001). Of 295 participants, 210 (71.2%) became independent. TUG at baseline was significantly better in the independent group (13.6±5.2s vs. 17.1±9.0s, p=.001). Fewer independent participants had daily activity limitations (p=.014) or social withdrawal (p=.037).
Conclusion: The short-term multifactorial preventive program with goal setting and feedback demonstrated significant improvements in physical function and contributed to the promotion of independence in community-dwelling older adults with frailty.