Determinant factors of functional status among the elderly

• Autor(a) principal: Rosa, Tereza Etsuko da Costa
• Data de Publicação: 2003
• Outros Autores: Benício, Maria Helena D'Aquino, Latorre, Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira, Ramos, Luiz Roberto
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.usp.br/rsp/article/view/31555
• topic: Idoso; Envelhecimento^i1^sfisiolo; Aptidão física; Atividades cotidianas; Saúde do idoso; Fatores de risco; Modelos estatísticos; Capacidade funcional; Elderly; Aging^i2^sphysical fitn; Activities of daily living; Risk factors; Models; statistical; Aging health; Functional status

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of health-related demographic and socioeconomic factors, as well as the impact of factors associated to social activity and the subjective health evaluation on the functional status of elderly people. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicentric study was conducted in a representative population sample in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1989. Functional status was evaluated using a scale of activities of personal and instrumental daily living. It was studied as a dichotomous variable: absence of dependency - disability/difficulty in none of the activities in contrast with moderate/severe dependency - disability/difficulty in 4 or more activities. Multiple regression analysis was applied to hierarchically clustered factors. RESULTS: Those with the following features were more associated to moderate/severe dependency: illiterate, retired, pensioner, housekeeper, living in a rented home, age over 65 years, multigenerational family composition, hospitalization in the last 6 months, mental health screening case, no visiting friends, and having a pessimistic perception of his/her own health when compared to their peers. CONCLUSIONS: The identified features associated to moderate/severe dependency suggest a complex net of causes for the declining functional status. However, one can assume that preventive measures directed to specific factors can benefit these population by improving their well-being.