International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Physical Health of Older Adults

Background: To facilitate a systematic, comprehensive description of functioning and to enable the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in clinical practice and research, core sets have been developed. Purpose: The aim of this study was to propose a version of the ICF core set to classify the physical health of older adults. Methods: The proposition of the ICF core set was based on the Delphi technique. The panel of experts included 8 Brazilian researchers (physical therapists, medical doctors, nurses, and physical educators). The communication was wholly electronic. In total, there were 5 rounds of interactivity between the participants to arrive at the final version of the construct. Results: The ICF core set presented 30 categories (14 on body functions, 4 on body structures, 9 on activities or participation, and 3 on environmental factors) and had a Cronbach alpha of 0.964. Conclusions: The presented core set is a secure, fast, and accurate instrument for assessing the physical health and engagement of older adults. It defines points related to functioning and health that are relevant when evaluating this population, as well as when reevaluating it and monitoring changes.