Introduction:

Functional dependence is a growing problem, linked to increasing age, especially in industrialized countries. Population studies allow an approach to the magnitude of the problem.

Objectives:

Barber's questionnaire is a widely used instrument for the detection of risk of dependence, vulnerability or frailty in older adults. No works have been found that apply it in population-based studies, where, due to its simplicity, it could be useful.

Methodology:

The questionnaire was included in a Health Survey, with a representative sample (n = 1,882 subjects) of people aged 65 years or more, from a big city (Madrid, Spain) and the evidence of validity is presented based on the internal structure and the relationship with other variables of convergent and discriminant type.

Results:

A unifactorial solution was obtained, with adequate internal consistency according to several multivariate indicators. Significant differences were found by sex, both at the scale and item level. Significant correlations also appeared between the total test score and other variables, such as health-related quality of life, age, and sense of loneliness. A total of 58.1% of the sample obtained scores suggesting vulnerability (65.3% of the women).

Conclusions:

The results suggest the usefulness of the Barber questionnaire, as a reliable and valid test, to detect situations of frailty or vulnerability in older adults, which would facilitate comparability between population surveys, overcoming the current tendency to include dozens of questions in other regional or national surveys.

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