The relationship between activities of daily living, frailty, and care dependency in older adults with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Functional status and frailty are important factors associated with care dependency in older adults with lung cancer. This study aimed to examine the associations between activities of daily living, frailty, and care dependency in older adults with lung cancer (LC). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 1 and May 31, 2025, using face-to-face interviews with older adults diagnosed with LC who were hospitalized at a training and research hospital in İzmir, Türkiye. The sample consisted of 410 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Individual Identification Form, Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Scale, Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), and Care Dependency Scale (CDS). RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 70.79 ± 4.26 years and 76.3% were male. Multiple regression analysis revealed that higher ADL scores were independently associated with higher CDS scores (B = 2.344, β = 0.309, p < .001), whereas higher EFS scores were independently associated with lower CDS scores (B = -2.391, β = -0.652, p < .001). The regression model explained 81.5% of the variance in care dependency (adjusted R2 = 0.815, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Both functional status and frailty were independently associated with care dependency in older adults with lung cancer. Greater functional independence was associated with lower care dependency, whereas higher frailty was associated with greater care dependency. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Integrating routine frailty screening and functional assessment into oncogeriatric care may enable early identification of high-risk individuals and support targeted interventions aimed at preserving independence.