Application status of intrinsic capacity assessment tools for the elderly in the community:a scoping review

LIANG Min; WANG Xiyi

doi:10.12102/j.issn.2095-8668.2025.16.009

Abstract：Objective: To conduct a scoping review of domestic and international research on the internal capacity of community older adults based on the concept of the World Health Organization, and to summarize the assessment tools and methods for different functional dimensions of internal capacity. Methods: Systematic retrieval was conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, VIP Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, and grey literature, with a time range from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2025. Two researchers independently screened the literature, and empirical studies on the internal capacity and its functional dimensions of community older adults were included. Results: A total of 27 papers were finally included, involving 55 assessment indicators (cognition 8 items, physical activity 10 items, vitality 10 items, hearing 8 items, vision 9 items, psychological 10 items). In the assessment of internal capacity functions among community older adults, the commonly used assessment tools for cognitive, physical, and psychological abilities were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), respectively. Sensory functions (hearing and vision) were usually assessed through self-reporting, while vitality was mainly measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) and grip strength. Conclusion: There is significant heterogeneity in the assessment tools for internal capacity in some areas. Future efforts could focus on developing standardized and operable integrated assessment tools based on the concept of internal capacity and combined with multimodal technologies, to promote early screening and accurate assessment of the internal capacity of community older adults.