Estilo de vida e estado nutricional de idosos moradores em condomínios exclusivos para a terceira idade

Abstract

The lifestyle and nutritional status influence the health of the elderly, contributing to the process of a successful aging. The objective of this study was to analyze the lifestyle and nutritional status of elderly residents in the Cidade Madura Condominiums, in the state of Paraíba. Exploratory, descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional research with a quantitative approach. The following instruments were used to obtain the data: a sociodemographic questionnaire to delineate the profile of the elderly; Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), cognitive screening test, to identify any severe cognitive; Elderly Life Style Scale; Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®), used to assess the risk of malnutrition; and anthropometric measurements (weight, height, circumferences: arm, waist, hip and calf; and indices: Body Mass Index-BMI and wais-hip ratio) to assess nutritional status. The results were organized with the SPSS Software, and presented using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, means and standard deviations) and associations between the research variables. The sample consisted of 76 elderly residents in the Condominiums located in Campina Grande, Guarabira and João Pessoa. Most of the elderly (47,37%) were in the age range between 60 and 69 years, 56.6% female, low schooling with a mean of 6.94 years of study and 69.7% live alone. Of the sample, 76.4% reported having some chronic non-transmissible disease, and arterial hypertension was more frequent (59.2%) and diabetes mellitus (18.4%). The subjective assessment related to nutritional health was considered good for most (44.7%) of the interviewees. Regarding the self-perception of nutritional status, 56.6% reported being good. The elderly were overweight and at risk for cardiometabolic complications. The elderly showed a healthy lifestyle (71%), the factors that presented healthier behaviors were: care with food, socialization, health care, functional coping and activity. There were positive, weak and significant correlations between the total Elderly Life Style Scale score and t he anthropometric measurements, arm circumference, waist circumference and calf circumference. No significant correlations were found with the total MNA® score . Among the factors of Elderly Life Style Scale we have that, the factor Activity correlated with arm circumference, the Socialization factor with arm circumference, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio; and the Care with food factor correlated with. The arm circumference was a predictor of 11.3% of the variation of the total Elderly Life Style Scale score and the waist - hip ratio was 9.6% to the socialization factor variation and the arm circumference 6.3% was the factor care for food. It is concluded that nutritional status explains lifestyle and both benefit health and healthy aging. To identify the factors that cause harmful behaviors to health, it is important to subsidize strategies aimed at biopsychosocial actions and health promotion and prevention to ensure the quality of health and life of the elderly.