VALIDATION OF THE EASYCARE STANDARD 2010 INSTRUMENT TO IDENTIFY OLD PEOPLE’S FUNCTIONING AND WELLBEING IN AKTOBE, KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the EASYCare Standard 2010 questionnaire among older adults in a primary healthcare setting in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Methods: A group of 100 participants aged 65 and older, without cognitive impairments, were recruited from a local healthcare clinic. The Russian translation of the EASYCare questionnaire was administered to the participants. Two assessments were conducted with a time interval of 10-14 days. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing the results of the EASYCare with the Barthel Index and Lawton scale, which measure physical and mental function, respectively. The three main indices of the EASYCare questionnaire, Independence score (IS), Risk of breakdown in care (RBC), and Risk of falls (RF), were evaluated. Results: The Kappa Cohen coefficient for all domains was high, ranging from 0.89 to 0.99. There were no significant differences in IS, RBC, and RF between the two assessments (10.4 ± 14.6 vs. 10.1 ± 14.2, 3.9 ± 2.5 vs. 3.9 ± 2.5, and 1.6 ± 1.5 vs. 1.6 ± 1.4, respectively). Discussion: This study confirms that the Russian version of the EASYCare provides reliable results and can be used as a comprehensive tool for assessing the health and well-being of older adults. Additionally, most participants were found to be relatively independent. However, there were slight differences in the Barthel Index scores between males and females (88.9 ± 14.6 vs. 95.6 ± 7.4, p<0.01), indicating that older men are more independent in performing basic activities of daily living compared to women of the same age. A similar pattern was observed for the Lawton scale (5.1 ± 2.0 vs. 6.4 ± 1.3, p<0.0001). These findings suggest that in Kazakhstan, men maintain their activity and independence for a longer period compared to women.