Abstract |
As people age, pulmonary function declines, significantly affecting physical performance and mental health. This decline also contributes to increased disease prevalence and mortality rates. Thus, maintaining pulmonary function is crucial for older individuals to live independently. This study aimed to classify the level of pulmonary function in older people based on physical performance and depression. Method: This study was conducted with community-dwelling older individuals aged 65 years. Pulmonary function was evaluated using a spirometer, and participants were classified into low and normal pulmonary function groups based on the ratio of the forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity. Physical performance was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB), and depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis with 10-fold cross-validation was used to classify pulmonary function using the SPPB, gait speed, and PHQ-9 as variables. Results: The CART model identified SPPB, gait speed, and PHQ-9 as significant variables for differentiating between the limited and normal pulmonary function groups. The model achieved 76% accuracy, 80% sensitivity, and 70% specificity. Conclusion: Our findings provide valuable information for screening pulmonary function in older adults and promoting timely strategies to address limited pulmonary function in community and clinical settings. Future research with larger datasets is warranted to validate and improve this model. |