Objective It has been increasingly recognized in various clinical areas that self-efficacy promotes the level of competence in patients. The validity, applicability and potential usefulness of a new, simple model for assessing self-efficacy in the elderly with special reference to frailty were investigated for improving elderly patients' accomplishments.

Methods The subjects of the present study comprised 257 elderly people who were members of the New Elder Citizen Movement in Japan and their mean age was 82.3±3.8 years. Interview materials including self-efficacy questionnaires were sent to all participants in advance and all other physical examinations were performed at the Life Planning Center Clinic.

Results The internal consistency and close relation among a set of items used as a measure of self-efficacy were evaluated by Cronbach's alpha index, which was 0.79. Although no age-dependent difference was identified in either sex, gender-related differences in some factors were noted. Regarding several parametric parameters, Beck's inventory alone revealed a significant relationship to self-efficacy in both sexes. Additionally, non-parametric items such as stamina, power and memory were strongly correlated with self-efficacy in both sexes. Frailty showed a significant independent relationship with self-efficacy in a multiple linear regression model analysis and using Beck's inventory, stamina, power and memory were identified to be independent factors for self-efficacy.

Conclusion The simple assessment of self-efficacy described in this study may be a useful tool for successful aging of elderly people.