An Artificial Neural Network Model for Assessing Frailty-Associated Factors in the Thai Population

Nawapong Chumha, Sujitra Funsueb, Sila Kittiwachana, Pimonpan Rattanapattanakul and Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon
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Nawapong Chumha: Aging and Aging Palliative Care Research Cluster, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Sujitra Funsueb: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Sila Kittiwachana: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Pimonpan Rattanapattanakul: Geriatric Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon: Aging and Aging Palliative Care Research Cluster, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Frailty, one of the major public health problems in the elderly, can result from multiple etiologic factors including biological and physical changes in the body which contribute to the reduction in the function of multiple bodily systems. A diagnosis of frailty can be reached using a variety of frailty assessment tools. In this study, general characteristics and health data were assessed using modified versions of Fried’s Frailty Phenotype (mFFP) and the Frail Non-Disabled (FiND) questionnaire (mFiND) to construct a Self-Organizing Map (SOM). Trained data, composed of the component planes of each variable, were visualized using 2-dimentional hexagonal grid maps. The relationship between the variables and the final SOM was then investigated. The SOM model using the modified FiND questionnaire showed a correct classification rate (%CC) of about 66% rather than the model responded to mFFP models. The SOM Discrimination Index (SOMDI) identified cataracts/glaucoma, age, sex, stroke, polypharmacy, gout, and sufficiency of income, in that order, as the top frailty-associated factors. The SOM model, based on the mFiND questionnaire frailty assessment, is an appropriate tool for assessment of frailty in the Thai elderly. Cataracts/glaucoma, stroke, polypharmacy, and gout are all modifiable early prediction factors of frailty in the Thai elderly.

Keywords: frailty; elderly; Self-Organization Map (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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