ABSTRACT
The growth of older population requires political, economic and social rearrangement, particularly in health, considering its impact on this matter. The assessment of Likelihood of Hospitalization (LOH) is used as an indicator for the health condition of older adults. However, variables of physical capacity (PC) have not yet been associated with LOH. Thus, the association between PC and LOH was analyzed. This study was epidemiological, cross-sectional, and analytical. The sample was randomly selected from one of the Family Health Teams in Passo d’Areia neighborhood, municipality of Porto Alegre. 317 older adults aged ³65 years were evaluated. PC was evaluated by tests of strength, flexibility, and balance on upper and lower limbs. LOH was evaluated with the Boult rapid screening instrument. For the statistical analysis, LOH has been adjusted in two groups: low-medium and medium high-high (MHH), and the Poisson multivariate regression analysis was used. The adopted significance level was p≤0.05. Among the results found, the physical variables that stayed attached to the LOH-MHH were the strength of lower limbs (PR=1.78; 95%CI=1.04 - 3.04) and flexibility (PR=2.13; 95%CI=1.28 - 3.56). There was a negative association between low levels of lower limb strength and flexibility with LOH-MHH. The prevalence of LOH-MHH among individuals with altered strength for the lower limbs was 78% greater when compared with those with normal strength, and it was 113% greater for those with altered flexibility.
Keywords:
Health Services for the Aged; Hospitalization; Muscle Strength, Postural Balance