Prevalence of disability and associated factors in the elderly

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with functional disability in the elderly. The cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 624 individuals, between 60 and 96 years of age. In the assessment of the elderly interviews and physical performance tests were used. In the inferential data analysis, the Poisson regression was used, p≤0.05. The prevalence of disability was 17.6% for Basic Activities of Daily Living and 46.3% for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Functional disability for Basic Activities of Daily Living was associated with increasing age, alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms and frailty; the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living were associated with increasing age, illiteracy, multigenerational family arrangement, hospitalization and fragility. The variables that remained in the explanatory model for the decline of functional capacity should be emphasized in proposals for public policies to promote the health of the elderly.