Health self-care practices among community older adults with morbidity

to describe sociodemographic and health characteristics of older adults with morbidity, identify self-care practices and verify the association of sociodemographic variables with those related to health and self-care practices.

Methods:

a quantitative, analytical and cross-sectional household survey, developed in the urban area in the countryside of Minas Gerais, from 2017 to 2018. A total of 796 older adults were assessed using validated instruments, such as Geriatric Depression Scale: short form, Brazilian Questionnaire for Functional and Multidimensional Assessment, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Instrument for Assessing Attitude Towards Taking Medications. Multiple logistic regression (p<0.05) was used.

Results:

negative self-perceived health was associated with low income and education. As for self-care in health, being physically active associated with the age group 60 |-| 79 years and higher education.

Conclusions:

sociodemographic variables such as sex, age group, income, education, marital status, housing arrangement were related to health status and self-care practice.

Descriptors:
Aged; Self Care; Geriatric Nursing; Nursing Theory; Health Promotion

Variables	n	%
Indication of presence of depressive symptoms
Yes	152	19.1
No	644	80.9
Number of self-reported morbidities
1 \|-\| 4	251	31.5
5 and more	545	68.5
Morbidities in family history
Yes	671	84.3
No	107	13.4
Ignored	18	2.3
Self-perceived health
Negative	435	54.6
Positive	361	45.4

Variables	n	%
Physical activity level
Active	526	66.1
Inactive	270	33.9
Routine consultation
Yes	707	88.8
No	89	11.2
Preventive tests (general)
Yes	516	64.8
No	280	35.2
Attitude towards taking medications
Negative	170	23.2
Positive	563	76.8
Preventive tests (sex)
Female	349	67.6
Male	167	32.4
Female
Cytopathological examination
Yes	142	40.7
No	207	59.3
Mammography examination
Yes	180	51.6
No	169	48.4
Routine tests (e.g., blood count, urine)
Yes	326	93.4
No	23	6.6
Male
Prostate examination
Yes	110	65.9
No	57	34.1
Routine tests (e.g., blood count, urine)
Yes	164	98.2
No	3	1.8

Variables	RCP*	(CI)**	p***
Health-related
Indication of presence of depressive symptoms
Sex	1.57	(1.05-2.33)	0.026
Education	1.50	(1.03-2.19)	0.034
Marital status	1.81	(1.25-2.62)	0.002
Self-perceived health
Sex	1.16	(0.84-1.60)	0.368
Income	1.50	(1.11-2.03)	0.008
Education	1.50	(1.10-2.05)	0.010
Marital status	1.30	(0.96-1.76)	0.092
Number of self-reported morbidities
Sex	3.75	(2.65-5.31)	<0.001
Age group	1.46	(1.00-2.15)	0.051
Income	1.05	(0.75-1.47)	0.766
Education	1.45	(1.03-2.04)	0.035
Marital status	1.10	(0.78-1.56)	0.585
Presence of morbidities in personal history
Sex	1.88	(1.23-2.86)	0.003
Age group	1.83	(1.12-2.99)	0.016
Education	1.78	(1.13-2.80)	0.013
Self-care practices in health
Physical activity level
Age group	2.54	(1.79-3.60)	<0.001
Education	1.64	(1.17-2.29)	0.004
Preventive tests
Age group	1.33	(0.93-1.91)	0.114
Income	1.24	(0.91-1.69)	0.170
Education	1.49	(1.06-2.08)	0.020
Marital status	1.33	(0.98-1.81)	0.071
Attitude towards taking medications
Education	1.43	(0.97-2.09)	0.069

Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem SGA Norte Quadra 603 Conj. "B" - Av. L2 Norte 70830-102 Brasília, DF, Brasil, Tel.: (55 61) 3226-0653, Fax: (55 61) 3225-4473 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: reben@abennacional.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Corresponding author: Darlene Mara dos Santos Tavares E-mail: darlene.tavares@uftm.edu.br