Incapacidade funcional e fatores associados em idosos cadastrados na estratégia Saúde da Família de Campina Grande-PB

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate functional disability in elderly patients enrolled in the Family Health Strategy of Campina Grande and associated socioeconomic, demographic and health status factors as well as the regular practice of physical activities. Methodology: This is a crosssectional

home study with elderly individuals (60 years or older) of both sexes. Data were collected from August 2009 to May 2010. Socioeconomic, demographic and health status variables, as well as the regular practice of physical activities were studied. The variables associated with functional disability were assessed using Poisson regression estimating the prevalence ratio and confidence intervals. Results: The study included 420 elderly patients (68.1 % women). The highest prevalence of functional disability were found among females, aged 80 or older, white, widowed, of economic classes D / E, who lived alone, with frequency of contacts up to 224 people and diversity of contacts up to 14 people, those physically inactive, who had inadequate nutritional status and who reported four or more chronic diseases and self-assessed their health as poor. Statistically significant association between disability and sex, age group, number of non communicable chronic diseases, self-assessment of health and physical activity was observed, the latter only among men. Conclusion: The female patients in this study with advanced age, physically inactive, who reported four or more non communicable chronic diseases and self-assessed their health as poor had higher prevalences of disability. These results show the influence of a multifactorial network on functional disability among elderly patients. Thus, a comprehensive assessment of these patients is recommended, considering various aspects in order to identify potential threats to the preservation of their functional capacity.