Relationship between physical fragility and socio-demographical and clinical factors of elderly performing driving license testing

Lenardt, Maria Helena; Cechinel, Clovis; Binotto, Maria Angelica; Carneiro, Nathalia Hammerschmidt Kolb; Lourenço, Tânia Maria

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Sumário

RESEARCH • Esc. Anna Nery 20 (4) • 2016 • https://doi.org/10.5935/1414-8145.20160097 copy

Relationship between physical fragility and socio-demographical and clinical factors of elderly performing driving license testing

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To investigate the association between the condition of the physical fragility and the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of elders performing driving license testing.

Methods:

This is a transversal quantitative study, performed in traffic medicine clinics. Criteria of inclusion of elders: age equal or higher to 60 years old; scheduled to driving license testing, and suitable cognitive and physical capacity to perform the tests. The sample was composed by 172 seniors from January to July 2015. Tests were used to evaluate the physical fragility, together with a socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire.

Results:

56.4% of the candidates are considered pre-fragile, and there was a significant association between fragility and marital status (p = 0.0327) and use of alcohol (p = 0.0417).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of pre-fragility demonstrates a necessity to manage this public, aiming to attenuate functional decay, and as a consequence, to contribute to safer driving conditions.

Keywords:
Fragile elder; Physical aptitude; Driving license exam; Demographic data; Pathology

Variable	Classification	Pre-fragile	%	Non-fragile	%	Total	p-value
Gender	Male	67	69.07	53	70.67	120	0.8214^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
Gender	Female	30	30.93	22	29.33	52
Marital Status	Married	64	65.98	51	68	115	0.0327^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
	Divorced	7	7.22	14	18.67	21
	Single	6	6.19	3	4	9
	Widow(er)	17	17.53	7	9.33	24
	Living with Partner	3	3.09	0	0	3
Living with	Partner and grandchildren	7	7.22	1	1.33	8	0.2326^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
	Partner	35	36.08	36	48	71
	Partner and children	27	27.84	19	25.33	46
	By himself	18	18.56	11	14.67	29
	Children	10	10.31	8	10.67	18
Schooling	Illiterate/Incomplete Elementary	11	1.03	6	0	17	0.6598^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
	Complete Elementary/Incomplete Middle	16	11.34	12	12	28
	Complete Middle/Incomplete High	12	10.31	12	14.67	24
	Complete High/Incomplete College	29	23.71	17	16	46
	Complete College	29	29.90	28	37.33	57
Income	No income	7	7.22	5	6.67	12	0.9687^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
	> 0 MWto ≤ 1 MW	10	10.31	5	6.67	15
	> 1 MWto ≤ 3 MW	33	34.02	28	37.33	61
	> 3 MWto ≤ 5 MW	15	15.46	13	17.33	28
	> 5 MWto ≤ 10 MW	18	18.56	13	17.33	31
	> 10 WM	14	14.43	11	14.67	25
Ethnicity	Caucasian	87	89.69	65	86.67	152	0.7142^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
	Mixed	5	5.15	5	6.67	10
	Afro-descendent	4	4.12	2	2.67	6
	Asian	1	1.03	3	4	4
Working Conditions	Yes	47	48.45	43	57.33	90	0.5079^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
Working Conditions	No	50	51.55	32	42.67	82
Retirement	Yes	70	72.16	53	70.67	123	0.8291^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
Retirement	No	27	27.84	22	29.33	49
Pension	Yes	18	18.56	8	10.67	143	0.2151^* * Chi-Square test, p < 0.05;
	No	77	79.38	66	88	26	0.3147^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
	NR	2	2.06	1	1.33	3

Variable	Classification	Pre-fragile	%	Non-fragile	%	Total	p-value
Diseases	Yes	67	69.07	50	66.67	117	0.7373^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Diseases	No	30	30.93	25	33.33	55
Heart Attack	Yes	6	6.19	1	1.33	7	0.0888^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Heart Attack	No	91	93.81	74	98.67	165
Angina	Yes	2	2.06	0	0	2	0.1286^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Angina	No	95	97.94	75	100	170
Congestive heart failure	Yes	1	1.03	1	1.33	2	0.8550^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Congestive heart failure	No	96	98.97	74	98.67	170
Peripheral vascular disease	Yes	0	0	1	1.33	1	0.1966^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Peripheral vascular disease	No	97	100	74	98.67	171
Chronic emphysema	Yes	2	2.06	2	2.67	4	0.7949^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Chronic emphysema	No	95	97.94	73	97.33	168
Attrite	Yes	6	6.19	4	5.33	10	0.8121^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Attrite	No	91	93.81	71	94.67	162
Cancer	Yes	4	4.12	5	6.67	9	0.4600^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Cancer	No	93	95.88	70	93.33	163
Diabetes	Yes	16	16.49	12	16	28	0.9305^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Diabetes	No	81	83.51	63	84	144
Hypertension	Yes	45	46.39	27	36.00	72	0.1707^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Hypertension	No	52	53.61	48	64.00	100
Hypothyroidism	Yes	14	14.43	8	10.67	22	0.4633^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Hypothyroidism	No	83	85.57	67	89.33	150
Dyslipidemia	Yes	14	14.43	11	14.67	25	0.9656^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Dyslipidemia	No	83	85.57	64	85.33	147
Use of alcohol	Yes	11	11.34	17	22.67	29	0.0417^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05
Use of alcohol	No	86	88.66	57	76.00	143
Smoking	Yes	6	6.19	9	12	15	0.1802^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Smoking	No	91	93.81	66	88	157
Used to smoke	Yes	18	18.56	16	21.33	34	0.6502^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Used to smoke	No	79	81.44	59	78.67	138

Variables	Classification	Pre-fragile	%	Non-fragile	%	Total	p-value
Falling	Yes	4	4.12	8	10.67	12	0.0949^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
Falling	No	93	95.88	67	89.33	160
Dizziness	Yes	1	1.03	1	1.33	2	0.8550^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
Dizziness	No	96	98.97	74	98.67	170
Assistive Tech.	Yes	2	2.06	1	1.33	3	0.7074^a a Found G test p-value 0.7074 - the first p-value only analyzed valid answers (Yes or No); the second p-value included the NR category. ^ Cochran test - G test, p < 0.05;
	No	94	96.91	74	98.67	168	0.5244^* * Chi-square test, p < 0.05;
	NR	1	1.03	0	0	1

Number of medications	Pre-fragile	%	Non-fragile	%	Total	p-value
Does not take any	25	25.77	25	33.33	50	0.7516
Take 1 medication	24	24.74	16	21.33	40
Take from 2 to 4 medications	42	43.30	30	40.00	72
Polypharmacy (5 or more medications)	6	6.19	4	5.34	10

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[1] Corresponding author: Clovis Cechinel. E-mail: cechinelc@hotmail.com