Vulnerabilidade física e risco de queda em pessoas idosas atendidas em um ambulatório de reabilitação pós-Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: Given the systemic pattern of COVID-19, there are many factors that can lead to a functional decline and a worsening in the quality of life of elderly people after being affected by the disease. The identification of such factors can contribute to the development of specific strategies for more adequate health care for the elderly. Faced with this scenario, there is an urgency to track these elderly people on several aspects, mainly in relation to physical vulnerability and risk of falls. Objective: To analyze physical vulnerability and the risk of falls in the elderly people treated at a post COVID-19 Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic. Materials and methods: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out in a medium and high complexity military hospital in Brasília, Federal District. The data were collected using a sociodemographic and health conditions questionnaire, beside the following screening tests: Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13), Timed Up and Go (TUG), handgrip strength (dynamometry), Falls Efficacy Scale – International – Brazil (FES-I) and the sarcopenia screening scale (SARC-F+CC). Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square were used for data analysis, considering p<0.05. Results: Eighty elderly people participated in the study, 51.2% of whom were men, with a mean age of 63.82 ± 6.31 years, 53.8% with more than 8 years of schooling. The prevalence of physical vulnerability was 34.2% of the elderly aged between 60 and 69 years and 23.7% in the age group over 70 years. There was no association between physical vulnerability and sociodemographic variables, comorbidities, polypharmacy, falls, hospitalization and screening tests, except for handgrip strength (p=0.008). Regarding the risk of falling, there was no statistically significant association with the same variables analyzed. The prevalence of risk of falling found in this study was 13.2% in the age group from 60 to 69 years and 9.5% in the age group over 70 years. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated an association between physical vulnerability and handgrip strength, deducing that preserved muscle strength in elderly people affected by COVID-19 is a protective factor for a lower risk of vulnerability. The risk of falling in elderly people who were affected by COVID19 was not greater than in older people who did not have COVID-19 and in the period before the pandemic.