Abstract
Objective
To assess the association between vulnerability and functional decline for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) in older people treated in Primary Health Care (PHC) units in the municipality of Várzea Grande (MT), Brazil.
Method
A longitudinal study was carried out with 304 older people with a 24-month follow-up. The main exposure variable vulnerability was measured at baseline using the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13). The dependent variable was “functional decline in IADL” defined as the decrease of at least one point in the score of functional capacity assessed by the Lawton and Brody Scale between baseline evaluation and the end of follow-up. The associations between the functional decline in IADL and vulnerability, health conditions, sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, lifestyle, and adverse health events were estimated using the Odds Ratio (OR) with binary logistic regression.
Results
A decline in functional capacity in IADL was observed in 35,20% of the cohort members. In the final model, functional decline was associated with the interaction between vulnerability and physical inactivity (OR = 3.12, 95%CI, 1.42-6.86), dissatisfaction with life (OR = 2.23, 95%CI, 1.09-4.56), and hospitalization (OR = 2.01, 95%CI, 1.18-3.41).
Conclusion
Functional decline in IADL was greater in vulnerable older people who were physically inactive, in those dissatisfied with life, and those who were hospitalized during the follow-up period. These conditions must be identified early so that actions to prevent functional decline could be implemented in addition to programs to encourage older people to exercise.
Keywords
Health of the Elderly; Frailty; Longitudinal Studies; Primary Health Care
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