Objective: Social frailty, defined by reduced social participation,
isolation, and loss of self-sufficiency, represents a critical dimension
of overall frailty in older adults. This study aimed to translate the five
item social frailty scale (SFS) into Turkish and evaluate its psychometric
properties among community-dwelling older adults.
Method: A total of 308 participants aged ≥65 years were included.
Individuals with dementia, active malignancy, infection, or
difficulty communicating in Turkish were excluded. All participants
underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment, including evaluation
of demographics and comorbidities. The SFS was translated using
a standardized forward–backward procedure and pretested in 15
participants. Internal consistency, factor structure, inter-rater, and
intra-rater reliability were assessed. Construct validity was examined via
correlations between SFS scores and geriatric assessment measures.
Results: The mean age was 74.8±6.2 years, with 49% female. Social
frailty distribution was 46.4% robust, 34.1% pre-frail, and 19.5% frail.
Social frailty was less common among women, married individuals,
and those engaging in regular physical activity. Social frailty scale scores
correlated positively with depression and clinical frailty and negatively
with cognitive function and daily activities (p<0.001). Inter- and intrarater
reliability were excellent (κ=0.85–0.90, p<0.001). Cronbach’s
α was 0.655. Principal component analysis (PCA) supported a
unidimensional structure explaining 33.5% of the total variance.
Conclusion: The Turkish SFS is a valid and reliable instrument for
assessing social frailty in older adults and can be confidently applied in
clinical and research settings.
Keywords: Disability, independence, social isolation, aging, geriatric
psychiatry, social determinants of health, mental health