Abstract
Background
Despite the evidence on the association between functional disability and poor self-rated health, there is still a gap on the influence of the type of activity of daily living (ADL) on the health of the elderly population.
Objective
To identify the negative self-assessment of health by older adults and its association with dependence on each type of ADL.
Method
A cross-sectional, population-based study with probabilistic data conducted with 890 elderly residents in Goiânia, state of Goiás, Brazil. The following variables were assessed: sample demography, hospitalization, number of morbidities, and basic and instrumental ADLs. A hierarchical multiple analysis was performed considering prevalence ratio (PR) as measure of effect.
Results
The prevalence of poor self-rated health was 11.5%. Associated factors were as follows: multimorbidity (PR: 4.26; 95% CI 1.89-9.62), hospitalization in the past year (PR: 1.59; 95% CI 1.10-2.28), and disability for transferring (PR: 2.60; 95% CI 1.30-8.45), shopping (PR: 1.98; 95% CI 1.16-3.39), use of transportation (PR: 3.86; 95% CI 1.41-10.5) and use of the telephone (PR: 1.60; 95% CI 1.00-2.63).
Conclusion
The association between functional disability and negative self-rated health indicate the importance of including them in the evaluation of different health care modalities, since dependence may reflect changes in the actual health conditions and quality of life of older adults.
Keywords:
activities of daily living; self-assessment; older adults; multimorbidity