Frequência de incapacidade funcional em idosos residentes nos Distritos Sanitários da Restinga e do Extremo-Sul da cidade de Porto Alegre-RS e sua relação com fatores socioeconômicos e demográficos

Abstract

OBJECTIVE : To observe the frequency of functional disability in elderly residents of vulnerable communities in Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil, and its association with socioeconomic and demographic factors. METHODS : Cross-sectional population-based study including 638 elderly aged over 60 years. Katz Index and Lawton Scale were used for evaluation of basic and instrumental activities of daily living, respectively. Functional disability was defined as the need for help in at least one activity evaluated. Demographic variables included age, sex and number of residents. Socioeconomic variables analyzed were education, marital status, socioeconomic level and presence of caregiver. The mean age and number of residents were compared between two levels of disability and analyzed by Student's t test. Functional disability and categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-Square test. The risk of disability was measured by logistic regression and expressed as odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS : The prevalence of functional disability was 15.7% and 26.2% for basic and instrumental activities, respectively. Women had a significantly higher frequency of disability in basic activities, while this frequency for older age and being widowed was significantly higher for both basic and instrumental activities. The risk of functional disability in basic activities were lower in the elderly with low socioeconomic status (p = 0.03) and increased with advancing age (p <0.005). The instrumental activities had the highest number of significant variables in the final logistic regression model, having the same pattern as the basic activities for socioeconomic status (p = 0.01) and age (p = 0.001). In comparison with the elderly who never attended school, all other levels of education were significantly protective (p <0.001). The married state was also protective (p <0.001). CONCLUSION : The frequency of functional disability was not higher than that described in Brazilian literature, but we found a significant association with socioeconomic status and age for both outcomes and education and marital status for instrumental activities. The primary care services should be alert to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics associated with disability.