Fragilidade em pessoas idosas participantes de uma universidade aberta à maturidade

Abstract

Frailty is an important indicator of the health condition of elderly people, and can be conceptualized as a clinical syndrome whose signs and symptoms predict adverse reactions such as: hospitalization, functional decline, institutionalization and death. The general objective of this study was to: evaluate the prevalence of frailty in elderly people at the Universidade Aberta a Maturidade in the city of Campina Grande – PB, under the auspices of the Life Span Theory. The dissertation is structured into two articles, which have specific objectives, with a view to the general objective. The first article aimed to identify the prevalence of frailty in elderly people participating in an Open University and the second, to evaluate the self-perception of elderly people with frailty and participants in an open university about their coping with aging, from the perspective of the Theory of Human Development : Life-Span, also known as Developmental Psychology. This is a quantitative-qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study, carried out with 102 participants from the Universidade Aberta à Maturidade - UAMA/UEPB. Initially, an assessment of the prevalence of frailty was carried out and, subsequently, an assessment of self-perception of this phenomenon was carried out with participants considered frail. The following instruments were used for data collection: 1) form on socioeconomic data; 2) Mini Mental State Examination, 3) Edmonton Frailty Scale; 4) Interview guide for people considered fragile. The study took place in two stages, which generated the production of two articles: 1) Prevalence of frailty in elderly people at an Open University; and 2) Self-perceptions of Aging (SER) and coping of frail people participating in an Open University. It is concluded that there is real importance in understanding the weaknesses among elderly people, especially those who participate in educational programs such as the Open University. The research revealed a significant prevalence of those in the frailty process (apparently vulnerable and/or with some degree of frailty), highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve quality of life and promote healthy aging. Furthermore, the elderly's self-perceptions about their coping and challenges were analyzed, offering valuable insights for the application of the Theory of Human Development: Life-Span in understanding the aging process. Strict adherence to ethical aspects guaranteed the integrity and credibility of the study, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the area of geriatric health and developmental psychology, respecting the guidelines of resolution 466/12 which deals with research with human beings and the Committee of Ethics at the State University of Paraíba, which is approved under opinion number 6.297.534 and Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Assessment 73350323.6.0000.5187.