Estudio de la capacidad funcional, el equilibrio y la salud y sus interrelaciones con las caídas y la mortalidad en un población mayor ribereña del Amazonas

Abstract

Introduction: It´s a fact that the population´s aging process is advancing in every country of the world, and with it a really high public health cost. In any integrative plan that foments successful aging, physical activity plays a very important role, this because of the epidemiological fact that the physical condition of the elderly finally relates to survival and in a more clear way with the presence of chronicle disease and people´s independence. Accidental falls are more frequent, and quite often are a cause that precipitates the process that leads to death. The underdeveloped societies are not exempt of the consequences of growing old, in this case like the Amazonian riverside population. Objective: The objective of the current paper is to describe the socioeconomic, cultural, lifestyle and plasmatic metabolic profiles , as well as the principal components of the physical condition (corporal composition, muscular force, equilibrium, aerobic skills, agility) and its association with an accidental fall history and the mortality between three years, this in the elderly population of Maúes, a municipality located at the interior of the Amazonian state, place which you can only gain access through an aircraft or through the river. Method and Material: A two phase study was designed, one being crosswise with population´s data compilation as well as personal public health and accidental fall history, attached to a physical condition evaluation and statement of the lipid and glycemic profile. A second phase made lengthwise between three years to follow up the mortality rate of the studied population. In concrete, 637 elderly individuals participated, being the 21.9% of the total elderly population of Maúes residents. Conclusions of results: The majority of the studied population where natives from Maúes, and they showed a low prevalence on sarcopenia and obesity. The physical qualities seemed average as showed on published values by other worldwide populations. The prevalence on accidental falls was of 24.5% without a clear difference between genders, as well as the frequency not being associated with the presence of chronicle disease, corporal composition variations, neither variation on a functional nor equilibrium capacity. It only showed a correlation with the self-perception of health and hospitalizations the year before.