Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze prevalence and the factors associated with locomotive syndrome in community-dwelling older adults. Method: a cross-sectional study, developed in a municipal center for the care of older adults in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. The sample was for convenience and comprised 204 older adults aged 60 years or more, of both genders and with preserved cognitive capacity, according to parameters of the Mini Mental State Examination. Data collection occurred from March to November 2018, by applying a form for sociodemographic, clinical and falls occurrence characterization and the 25-item Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. To measure the strength of the associations between the variables, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were adopted. The statistical significance level was set at 5% for the analyses. Results: the prevalence of locomotive syndrome found was 37.2%. The factors associated with the presence of locomotive syndrome were individual monthly income (p=0.005); existence of one of the following comorbidities: systemic arterial hypertension (p=0.039), osteoporosis (p=0.016), arthrosis (p<0.001) or obesity (p=0.014); and history of hospitalization in the last year (p=0.007). Conclusion: the prevalence of locomotive syndrome found in this study was low and presented higher levels in older adults, with an individual monthly income of two to three minimum wages; who reported having hypertension, osteoporosis, arthrosis or obesity; and with a history of hospitalization in the last year. The health condition investigated showed to be related to aging, with significant repercussions on functionality.
Highlights
Non-communicable chronic diseases and health problems are among the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the general population, especially among older adults, potentially susceptible to progression with unfavorable outcomes, mainly regarding functional capacity[1].Among the health problems of this age group that have been gaining prevalence are diseases of the locomotor system such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and spondyloarthrosis
It is noteworthy that 85.8% were female, with a mean age of 70.4 years old; 34.3% reported incomplete elementary education; and 93.6% had some source of individual income, with the majority (38.7%) stating having an individual monthly income lower than one minimum wage
The most self-reported morbidities were as follows: systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), with 64.7%; followed by chronic pathologies related to the musculoskeletal system (65.8%), osteoporosis (36.8%) and arthrosis (29%)
Summary
Among the health problems of this age group that have been gaining prevalence are diseases of the locomotor system such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and spondyloarthrosis These are musculoskeletal pathologies which often exert a negative repercussion on the performance of the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), with the possibility of causing dependence and institutionalization among older adults, as well as significantly influencing self-perception of health and quality of life[2]. Secondary to these musculoskeletal diseases more prevalent among older adults is Locomotive Syndrome (LoS), a health condition which, since 2007, the year it was proposed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), has been widely investigated and discussed in Japan[3]. As some research studies have evidenced, it is a health condition that has been shown to be related to sarcopenia and frailty in older adults[5,6]
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