The prevalence of functional impairment among people aged over 65 years staying in their home environment

Małgorzata Dziechciaż; Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski; Izabela Wróblewska; Jarosław Fiks; Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka

doi:10.5114/hpc.2021.109718

eISSN: 2354-0265
ISSN: 2353-6942

Health Problems of Civilization Physical activity: diseases and issues recognized by the WHO

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4/2021
vol. 15

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DISEASES AND PROBLEMS DISTINGUISHED BY WHO AND FAO

abstract:

Original paper

The prevalence of functional impairment among people aged over 65 years staying in their home environment

Małgorzata Dziechciaż

¹

,

Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski

²

,

Izabela Wróblewska

³

,

Jarosław Fiks

⁴

,

Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka

⁵

Department of Health Sciences, Health Care Institute, State Higher School of Technology and Economics, Jarosław, Poland
Department of Dietetics, College of Rehabilitation in Warsaw, Poland
Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
Office of the Patient Ombudsman, Warsaw, Poland
Institute of Medical Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland

Health Prob Civil. 2021; 15(4): 275-281

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/hpc.2021.109718

Online publish date: 2021/11/10

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Background
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of functional impairments in people over 65 years of age.

Material and methods
The study included 504 people (329 women, 175 men) aged over 65 years living in the Subcarpathian region of Poland. The data was obtained through the use of a diagnostic survey using the direct questionnaire technique. The survey included the following research tools: the Barthel scale, the Lawton scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Abbreviated Mental Test Score, and an interview questionnaire of the authors’ own construction.

Results
Respondents capable of performing basic everyday activities comprised more than half of the studied population (58.53%; n=295), those partially impaired constituted 35.32% (n=178), and 6.15% (n=31) were fully impaired. The vast majority of participants (n=458; 90.87%) needed help in performing complex activities. Higher Barthel scale scores indicated better performance in basic everyday activities was obtained by seniors with normal vision and hearing, fewer diseases, and higher education.

Conclusions
The most frequent deficits in performing basic life activities were controlling urine, moving on flat surfaces, and climbing and descending stairs. Determinants of functional disability among the study subjects were advancing age, female gender, low education level, widowhood, more illnesses, and cognitive and emotional decline.

keywords:

The prevalence of functional impairment among people aged over 65 years staying in their home environment

Małgorzata Dziechciaż 1 , Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski 2 , Izabela Wróblewska 3 , Jarosław Fiks 4 , Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka 5

functional performance, home environment, elderly

Małgorzata Dziechciaż

¹

,

Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski

²

,

Izabela Wróblewska

³

,

Jarosław Fiks

⁴

,

Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka

⁵