Functional disability and factors of elderly people with regular physical activity: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Conducting studies in different regions of the country can help to understand which factors are associated with the functional disability of the elderly, considering that this is an important health indicator and may contribute to interventions in this population, aiming to reduce the risk of future dependence, complication or establishment of chronic diseases and morbidities. This study aimed to verify the factors associated with the functional disability of elderly women participating in a physical activity program in Manaus/AM. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 416 elderly women who answered a questionnaire with information on functional disability (dependent variable) and independent variables: age, marital status, monthly income, schooling, retirement, medication use, body mass index, depression symptoms, self-reported illness, and health perception. The overall prevalence of functional disability was 25.7%, which was associated with age ≥80 (OR=2.34, IC95%=1.11-4,94), incomplete primary school (OR=3.22, IC95%=1.24-8.35) and complete primary (OR=3.24, IC95%=1.40-7.50), overweight (OR=2.77, IC95%=1.69-4.54), presence of depression symptoms (OR=4.40, IC95%=1.48-13.07), arthrosis (OR=3.31, IC95%=1.80-5.73), rheumatoid arthritis (OR=2.84, IC95%=1.57-5.15) and negative health perception (OR=3.04, IC95%=1.19-7.78). It was concluded that functional disability was associated with modifiable health factors (scholling, overweight, depression syntoms) ans non modifiable (age, arthritis and arthrosis).