FRAILTY IN OLDER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY: THE ROLE OFSOCIAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Frailty must be understood within a social and family context. Thus, in principle, elderly people with the same clinical conditions can be considered in different stages of frailty, in view of the social or family support to which they have access. In this context, in order to contribute to the discussion on this theme, the present study aimed to analyze the factors associated with frailty in elderly people in the community, highlighting the role of the family and social context. This is a cross-sectional and analytical study that integrates a larger approach to the evaluation of matrix support for the elderly in primary care. Data collection was carried out from the application of the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index-20 (IVCF-20), Brazilian Older Americans Resources and Services Multidimensional Function Assessment Questionnaire (BOMFAQ) and questions related to the social and family context that were not included in the instruments used were added. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, followed by binary logistic regression analysis, with robust variance, to obtain adjusted prevalence ratios. The stratification of clinical-functional vulnerability, according to the IVCF-20, revealed that 143 (21.2%) of the elderly were considered frail. The variables that remained statistically associated with frailty after multiple analysis were: age, gender, access to own income, activity outside the home, education, habit of performing manual work as a leisure activity, impairment of at least one of the activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, falls in the last year, urinary incontinence, polypharmacy, depression, and self-perception of health. The study has the merit of recording the importance that social support variables have in the process of frailty of elderly people. The variables identified here portray important aspects of the aging process and care aimed at the health and well-being of the elderly.