Background The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is widely used to predict negative health-related outcomes in older adults. However, the cutoff point for the detection of the frailty syndrome is not yet conclusive. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of the SPPB for detecting frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Design This was a population-based cross-sectional study focusing on households in urban areas. A total of 744 people who were 65 years old or older participated in this study. Methods Frailty was determined by the presence of 3 or more of the following components: unintentional weight loss, self-reported fatigue, weakness, low level of physical activity, and slowness. Diagnostic accuracy measures of the SPPB cutoff points were calculated for the identification of frailty (individuals who were frail) and the frailty process (individuals who were considered to be prefrail and frail). Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. Odds ratios for frailty and the frailty process and respective CIs were calculated on the basis of the best cutoff points. A bootstrap analysis was conducted to confirm the internal validity of the findings. Results The best cutoff point for the determination of frailty was ≤8 points (sensitivity = 79.7%; specificity = 73.8%; Youden J statistic = 0.58; positive likelihood ratio = 3.05; area under the curve = 0.85). The best cutoff point for the determination of the frailty process was ≤10 points (sensitivity = 75.5%; specificity = 52.8%; Youden J statistic = 0.28; positive likelihood ratio = 1.59; area under the curve = 0.76). The adjusted odds of being frail and being in the frailty process were 7.44 (95% CI = 3.90–14.19) and 2.33 (95% CI = 1.65–3.30), respectively. Limitations The external validation using separate data was not performed and the cross-sectional design does not allow SPPB predictive capacity to be established. Conclusions The SPPB might be used as a screening tool to detect frailty syndrome in community-dwelling older adults, but the cutoff points should be tested in another sample as a further validation step.

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Se consideran datos sobre precipitación líquida en tres estaciones meteorológicas de Brasil (Pelotas: 31°45’S, 52°21’W; Campinas: 22°53’S, 47°04’W; Fortaleza: 3°45’S, 38°31’W) durante 1849-2000. Estas estaciones cubren prácticamente todo el rango latitudinal de Brasil. El análisis del nivel anual de lluvia en Pelotas y Fortaleza muestra una periodicidad bidecenal muy pronunciada a lo largo de 100-150 años con una gran variación de amplitud de aproximadamente 90%. Se observan altas correlaciones/anticorrelaciones con el ciclo magnético solar: en Fortaleza los coeficientes son -77%±4% durante 1849-1940 y +80.0±4% durante 1952-2000, en Pelotas son 60%±13% en 1893-1920 y -84 %±4% durante 1929-2000. La correlación de la variación de la lluvia con periodos de 24 años, característica de modelos acoplados de océano-atmósfera independientes del ciclo solar, es de +54%±6% en Fortaleza durante 1849-2000. Se buscaron correlaciones de corto plazo entre el nivel de lluvia y el cruce terrestre con el sector magnético del medio interplanetario, con eventos de partículas de ráfagas y con decrementos Forbush durante ~ 50 años de observaciones. Los resultados se pueden usar para predicción a largo plazo en la región de Sur América y otras partes y para contribuir a resolver el problema de la relación sol-clima.

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