Intrinsic capacity and hospitalization among older adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study

Monitoring intrinsic capacity (IC) in community-dwelling older people can be potentially used to alert for adverse health outcomes. However, whether there is an association between IC and hospitalization has yet to be fully explored. This study aimed to investigate the association of the IC composite measure and its 5 domains with hospitalization in the previous year and length of hospital stay.

We conducted cross-sectional analyses using data from a representative sample of community-dwelling adults (≥ 65 years). We assessed the IC domains (vitality, locomotor, cognitive, sensory, and psychological) using validated self-reported information and performance tests. We calculated standardized estimated scores (z scores) for IC composite measure and domains and conducted multivariate logistic and ordinal regressions. The primary outcomes were hospitalizations in the previous year and length of hospital stay.

In a sample of 5354 participants (mean age = 73 ± 6 years), we found that participants with high IC composite z scores were less likely to have experienced hospitalization in the previous year (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.44–0.58). Among those who were hospitalized, high IC scores were associated with short stays (OR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.80–0.95). Cognitive and psychological domains were associated with hospitalizations, and the locomotor domain was related to length of hospital stay. The vitality domain was associated with both outcomes.

IC as a composite measure was associated with previous hospitalizations and length of stay. IC can help clinicians identify older people prone to adverse outcomes, prompting preventive integrated care interventions.