The association between anemia and some aspects of functionality in older adults

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the association between anemia and some activities of daily living associated with feeding and the difficulty in chewing and swallowing. Methods: Cross-sectional study, which examined 1256 individuals, aged 60 or older who were part of the third collection of the SABE Study (Health, Well-Being and Aging). We classified as anemic men with blood haemoglobin ≤ 13 g/dL and women with values ≤ 12 g/dL. Results: Prevalence of anemia was higher in individuals who reported reduction in food consumption due to chewing and swallowing complaints, in individuals with difficulty to chew and in individuals who reported difficulty to feed themselves due to chewing and swallowing complaints. Anemia was also more prevalent in those with difficulty to feed themselves and to shop for food. In the analyses, the presence of chewing and swallowing complaints was associated with a chance of anemia almost 2 times greater than for individuals without complaints, and the presence of 2 or 3 chewing and swallowing complaints was associated with a 2.7 chance of anemia. Conclusion: The presence of difficulties in chewing and swallowing were associated with higher prevalence of anemia, even after adjustment for other factors, with a dose-response effect, indicating the importance of a multidisciplinary work with older adults.