Abstract
Objective:
To identify the profile of aged outpatients attended at the Núcleo de Atenção ao Idoso and the variables that interfere on duration of stay in the service.
Methods:
A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research was carried through, based on the analysis of 1,194 medical reports of aged outpatients attended from 2000 up to 2004. The variables were: socio-demographic data, clinical registers in medical evaluation and duration of stay of the aged outpatients at the clinic. A logistic regression was performed to analyze the relation between clinical variables and time of stay.
Results:
Women (76.5%) were more numerous than men (23.5%), in all age intervals. According to scholarship, 12.9% were illiterate and the most prevalent category (37.1%) had incomplete first degree. The number of aged widower women (38%) was three times those of widower men (12%). The majority of aged (94.4%) had a company of housing and 84.4% did not have health plan. The mean duration of stay in the service was 2 years and 8 months, with standard deviation of 1.5 years. The variables with major influence on duration of stay were: age, dizziness complaints, refractive, hearing and urinary disturbances, cataract, and bone fractures.
Conclusions:
According to the logistic regression, surgical history, hearing and urinary disturbances, as well as bone fractures contributed to increase duration of stay, but dizziness complaints, refractive disturbances and cataract reduced the stay of the elderly in the service.
Key words:
Aged; Health Profile; Ambulatory Care; Long-Term Care; Epidemiology, Descriptive; Logistic Models; Cross-Sectional Studies; Service of Health; Morbidity; Duration of Stay