{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,3]],"date-time":"2026-11-03T21:12:00Z","timestamp":1793740320323,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]],"date-time":"2025-05-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748044800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background and Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The rapidly aging global population brought increasing attention to the concepts of functional capacity (FC) and functional ability (FA), key indicators of health and well-being in older adults. Despite their importance, FC and FA are inconsistently defined, with varying dimensions and measurement approaches. This scoping review clarifies these concepts by summarizing current definitions, mapping their dimensions, identifying assessment tools, and proposing precise operational definitions to guide future research.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Research Design and Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>In this scoping review, a search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo, supplemented by snowball searches of reference lists. Included were studies involving adults aged 60 and older, published after 2015. Definitions, dimensions, and measurement tools of FC and FA were extracted and analyzed.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Among 85 included studies, only 16 explicitly defined FC or FA, with significant variability. Four primary dimensions emerged: physical, mental, social, and activities of daily living (ADL). FC predominantly emphasized physical health, while FA focused on ADL independence. Measurement tools were highly diverse, with 97 instruments identified, yet limited adoption of multidimensional approaches.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Discussion and Implications<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The findings highlight the need for standardized definitions and comprehensive, multidimensional assessments of FC and FA. Adopting the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework offers a potential solution to align research and practice. Standardized, holistic approaches to defining and measuring FC and FA are essential to advance research, guide clinical interventions, and support aging-related policy development worldwide.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnaf141","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]],"date-time":"2025-05-24T09:19:24Z","timestamp":1748078364000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Functional Capacity and Functional Ability in an Aging Population: A Scoping Review"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"65","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0310-8676","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lisa","family":"Schwab","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gerontology Department, Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6856-5305","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stijn","family":"De Baets","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gerontology Department, Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy Research Group, Universiteit Ghent , Ghent ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2083-4743","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emma","family":"De Keyser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gerontology Department, Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Research Group MOVANT, Universiteit Antwerpen , Antwerp ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9914-3738","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Timothy","family":"Moreels","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy Research Group, Universiteit Ghent , Ghent ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-7409-2768","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jade","family":"Tambeur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gerontology Department, Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4861-7838","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia","family":"De Vriendt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gerontology Department, Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]},{"name":"Mental Health and Wellbeing (MENT) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s11096-016-0409-z","article-title":"Assessment of the elderly\u2019s functional ability to manage their medication: A systematic literature review","volume":"39","author":"Advinha","year":"2017","journal-title":"International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy"},{"issue":"1","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0002","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1080\/1364557032000119616","article-title":"Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework","volume":"8","author":"Arksey","year":"2005","journal-title":"International Journal of Social Research Methodology"},{"issue":"1","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1093\/pubmed\/fdr015","article-title":"\u2018Scoping the scope\u2019 of a Cochrane review","volume":"33","author":"Armstrong","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Public Health"},{"issue":"8","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2775","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17082775","article-title":"Relationship between individual social capital and functional ability among older people in Anhui Province, China","volume":"17","author":"Bai","year":"2020","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0005","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/09638288.2024.2439567","article-title":"The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) as a measure among elderly population. A review","author":"Ciamarra","year":"2024","journal-title":"Disability and Rehabilitation"},{"issue":"3","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0006","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.1007\/s10926-017-9734-x","article-title":"Updating the evidence on functional capacity evaluation methods: A systematic review","volume":"28","author":"De Baets","year":"2018","journal-title":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation"},{"issue":"21","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0007","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11623","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182111623","article-title":"The usefulness of evaluating performance of activities in daily living in the diagnosis of mild cognitive disorders","volume":"18","author":"De Vriendt","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0008","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0191440","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0191440","article-title":"Quality in dementia care: A cross sectional study on the Bio-Psycho-Social competencies of health care professionals","volume":"13","author":"De Vriendt","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"4","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0009","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2978","DOI":"10.1111\/ppc.13149","article-title":"The effects of activities of daily living education on the independence and life satisfaction of elders","volume":"58","author":"Hastaoglu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Perspectives in Psychiatric Care"},{"issue":"2","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0010","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gny123","article-title":"Methodological guidance for a quality review article","volume":"59","author":"Heyn","year":"2019","journal-title":"The Gerontologist"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0011","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e66590","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.66590","article-title":"Future life expectancy in Europe taking into account the impact of smoking, obesity, and alcohol","volume":"10","author":"Janssen","year":"2021","journal-title":"eLife"},{"issue":"5\u20136","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0012","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1177\/08982643221128929","article-title":"Functional capacity and difficulties in activities of daily living from a cross-national perspective","volume":"35","author":"Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Aging and Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0013","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"783","DOI":"10.1080\/09638288.2023.2173813","article-title":"Patient- and proxy-perceptions on functioning after stroke rehabilitation using the 12-item WHODAS 2.0: A longitudinal cohort study","volume":"46","author":"Kilkki","year":"2024","journal-title":"Disability and Rehabilitation"},{"issue":"22","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0014","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11802","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182211802","article-title":"Transport and mobility needs for an ageing society from a policy perspective: Review and implications","volume":"18","author":"Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0015","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"324","DOI":"10.1177\/0733464811420563","article-title":"Correlates of functional capacity among centenarians","volume":"32","author":"Martin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Gerontology: The Official Journal of the Southern Gerontological Society"},{"issue":"9","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1723","DOI":"10.1007\/s40520-019-01351-y","article-title":"Weakness and cognitive impairment are independently and jointly associated with functional decline in aging Americans","volume":"32","author":"McGrath","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research"},{"issue":"6","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0017","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"506","DOI":"10.1093\/arclin\/acw049","article-title":"Assessment of activities of daily living, self-care, and independence","volume":"31","author":"Mlinac","year":"2016","journal-title":"Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology: The Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists"},{"issue":"1","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0040","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1002\/jrsm.1411","article-title":"Risk-of-bias VISualization (robvis): An R package and Shiny web app for visualizing risk-of-bias assessments","volume":"12","author":"McGuinness","year":"2021","journal-title":"Research synthesis methods"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0018","author":"OpenAI","year":"2024"},{"issue":"4","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0019","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1177\/00914150211009467","article-title":"Lifestyle factors, cognitive functioning, and functional capacity in older adults","volume":"94","author":"Ord","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Aging & Human Development"},{"issue":"2","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0020","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.14283\/jfa.2020.61","article-title":"Physical functional assessment in older adults","volume":"10","author":"Patrizio","year":"2021","journal-title":"The Journal of Frailty & Aging"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0021","volume-title":"The Joanna Briggs Institute reviewers\u2019 manual 2015: Methodology for JBI scoping reviews","author":"Peters","year":"2015"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0022","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-33330-0_1","article-title":"Frailty: What is it","volume":"1216","author":"Proietti","year":"2020","journal-title":"Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology"},{"issue":"4","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0194918","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0194918","article-title":"The relationship between functional status, physical fitness and cognitive performance in physically active older adults: A pilot study","volume":"13","author":"Ramnath","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0024","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2020.05.018","article-title":"The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing","volume":"139","author":"Rudnicka","year":"2020","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"issue":"3","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0025","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1016\/s0735-1097(97)00217-9","article-title":"Importance of estimated functional capacity as a predictor of all-cause mortality among patients referred for exercise thallium single-photon emission computed tomography: Report of 3,400 patients from a single center","volume":"30","author":"Snader","year":"1997","journal-title":"Journal of the American College of Cardiology"},{"issue":"7","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0026","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1042","DOI":"10.3390\/life12071042","article-title":"Exploring the associations between functional capacity, cognitive function and well-being in older adults","volume":"12","author":"Stavrinou","year":"2022","journal-title":"Life (Basel)"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0027","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"l4898","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.l4898","article-title":"RoB 2: A revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials","volume":"366","author":"Sterne","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"issue":"7-8","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0028","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.1177\/0898264319841949","article-title":"The social support-health link unraveled: Pathways linking social support to functional capacity in later life","volume":"32","author":"Suanet","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Aging and Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0029","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.11622\/smedj.2019049","article-title":"Validation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 among older adults in an Asian country","volume":"61","author":"Subramaniam","year":"2020","journal-title":"Singapore Medical Journal"},{"issue":"12","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0030","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1940","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1532-5415.2007.01455.x","article-title":"Estimated functional capacity predicts mortality in older adults","volume":"55","author":"Sui","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of the American Geriatrics Society"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0031","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114583","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2022.114583","article-title":"WHODAS 2.0: Associations of functional disability with sex, age, and length of care in outpatients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders","volume":"313","author":"Thai","year":"2022","journal-title":"Psychiatry Research"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0032","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"244","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2017.00244","article-title":"Functional capacity and levels of physical activity in aging: A 3-year follow-up","volume":"4","author":"Tom\u00e1s","year":"2017","journal-title":"Frontiers in Medicine"},{"issue":"7","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0033","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.7326\/M18-0850","article-title":"PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation","volume":"169","author":"Tricco","year":"2018","journal-title":"Annals of Internal Medicine"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0034","author":"United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division","year":"2019","journal-title":"World population ageing 2019: Highlights"},{"issue":"8","key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0035","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0237921","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0237921","article-title":"An age-adapted plyometric exercise program improves dynamic strength, jump performance and functional capacity in older men either similarly or more than traditional resistance training","volume":"15","author":"Van Roie","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0036","author":"Wells","year":"2000"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0037","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2001"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0038","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"2025071104363068800_CIT0039","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10389-023-02121-x","article-title":"Functional ability of older adults based on the World Health Organization framework of healthy ageing: A scoping review","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Public Health"}],"container-title":["The Gerontologist"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geront\/gnaf141\/63328717\/gnaf141.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/article-pdf\/65\/7\/gnaf141\/63328717\/gnaf141.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/article-pdf\/65\/7\/gnaf141\/63328717\/gnaf141.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,11]],"date-time":"2025-07-11T08:36:39Z","timestamp":1752222999000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/geront\/gnaf141\/8145506"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Patricia C","family":"Heyn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,12]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/geront\/gnaf141","relation":{},"ISSN":["0016-9013","1758-5341"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0016-9013","type":"print"},{"value":"1758-5341","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]]},"article-number":"gnaf141"}}