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Table 1 Operationalization of the NHS definition of the healthy aging status phenotype in DO-HEALTH

From: Prevalence of healthy aging among community dwelling adults age 70 and older from five European countries

NHS

DO-HEALTH

No major chronic diseases

NHS questionnaire

Sangha

1. No type 2 diabetes

1. No type 2 diabetes

2. No congestive heart failure

2. No heart disease

3. No kidney failure

3. No kidney disease

4. No chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

4. No lung disease

5. No cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer

5. No cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer *

6. No myocardial infarction

6. No myocardial infarction *

7. No coronary artery bypass surgery, or angioplasty

7. No coronary intervention *

8. No stroke

8. No stroke *

9. No Parkinson’s disease

9. No Parkinson`s disease †

10. No multiple sclerosis

10. No multiple sclerosis †

11. No amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

11. No amyotrophic lateral sclerosis †

No disabilities

SF-36

PROMIS

No limitation in:

No limitation in:

1. Bathing

1. Wash and dry your body

2. Dressing

2. Dress yourself, including shoelaces and buttons

3. Climbing one flight of stairs

3. Climb up five steps

4. Walking >1 mile or walking several blocks

4. Walk a block on flat ground

5. Moving a table

5. Stand up from an armless straight chair ±

6. Bowling or Golf

6. Get in and out of bed ±

7. Pushing a vacuum cleaner

7. Get on and off the toilet ±

No more than moderate limitations in:

No more than moderate limitations in:

8. Lifting or carrying groceries

8. Run errands and shop

9. Bending, kneeling, or stooping

9. Do chores such as vacuuming or yard work

10. Lifting heavy objects

10. Reach and get down a 2-Kg object from above head

11. Climbing several flights of stairs

11. Bend down and pick up items from the floor ±

No impairment in cognitive function

TICS score >31

MoCA score >=25 §

No mental health limitation

SF-36, MHI score >84/100

GDS-5 score < 2/5

How much of the time during the last month have you:

1. Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now?

1. Felt so down in the dumps that nothing could cheer you up?

2. Are you basically satisfied with your life?

2. Been a happy person?

3. Do you often feel helpless?

3. Felt downhearted and blue?

4. Do you prefer to stay at home rather than going out and doing new things?

4. Been a very nervous person?

5. Do you often get bored?

Plus: No diagnosis of depression (Sangha)

5. Felt calm and peaceful?

 
  1. NHS = Nurses’ Health Study. DO-HEALTH = Vitamin D3 - Omega3 - Home Exercise - Healthy Aging and Longevity Trial. Sangha = Sangha`s self-administered comorbidity questionnaire. TICS= Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. MoCA = Montreal Cognitive Assessment. SF-36 = Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire. MHI = Mental Health Index. GDS-5 = Geriatric Depression Scale. * Exclusion criteria of DO-HEALTH. † Not assessed, but severe cases unlikely to be included as seniors with advanced mobility limitations were not included in DO-HEALTH. ± Substitutes, not matching corresponding items from the NHS definition but picturing elements of the NHS requirements regarding disabilities and physical functions. § In analogy to the TICS cutoff, separating seniors with normal cognition from those with mild cognitive impairment (Brand et al. Ciesielska et al.)