Incapacidade funcional em idosos: estudo de base populacional em uma cidade do sul do Brasil.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of disability and associated factors in elderly residents of Pelotas, Brazil, by focusing on basic (BADL) and instrumental activities (IADL) of daily living. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study including 598 subjects aged 60 years or more. Participants were selected by a two-stage sampling process. BADL and IADL were measured with the Katz Index and the Lawton Scale, respectively. Disability for each domain was defined as need for partial or total help for performing, at least, one daily activity. Results: The prevalence of disability for BADL was 26.8% (95%CI 23.0 – 30.8). The lowest proportion of independence was observed for the functions of urinate and evacuate. With regards to IADL, the prevalence of disability was 28.8% (95%CI 24.5 – 33.1). Participants were less independent for using the transport system by themselves. Although the prevalence of disability is similar for BADL and IADL, we found a high proportion of accumulation of activities with disability for IADL. Among those with disability for BADL, most presented dependence for only one activity; these, 86.6% presented continence disability only. Conclusions: Health services should prioritize the evaluation of functional status among the elderly, as this strategy could help preventing or delaying the occurrence of disability, leading to improved quality of life.