Self-care deficit in the elderly: Characteristics, associated factors and recommendations to family health strategy teams

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize self-care deficit in association with sociodemographic, behavioral and health status characteristics, as well as with factors related to access and utilization of health services. A population-based, cross-sectional survey was carried out with elderly individuals in the catchment area of a Family Health team in the city of Lages, State of Santa Catarina. Self-care deficit was measured by the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale (ASA-A). The majority of the interviewees were female, white-skinned, aged between 60 and 70 years old. The prevalence of the outcome was 25% and was significantly related to multimorbidity, poor health self-perception, inadequate food intake, low level of schooling, inactivity, and to dependence on others for the accomplishment of activities of daily living. This strengthens the health teams’ role of promoting self-care initiatives, enabling the citizen’s closer contact with public policies and local community resources.