Postural instability and the condition of physical frailty in the elderly.
Author: Moraes DC1,2, Lenardt MH2, Seima MD2,3, Mello BH2,4, Setoguchi LS2,5, Setlik CM2,6
Affiliation:
1Hospital Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
2Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Enfermagem, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
3Prefeitura de São José dos Pinhais, Departamento de Atenção à Saúde, São José dos Pinhais, PR, Brasil.
4Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças, Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
5Bolsista da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brasil.
6Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças, Unidade de Internação, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
Conference/Journal: Rev Lat Am Enfermagem.
Date published: 2019 Apr 29
Other:
Volume ID: 27 , Pages: e3146 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1590/1518-8345.2655-3146. [Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish; Abstract available in Portuguese and Spanish from the publisher] , Word Count: 161
OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship between postural instability and the condition and markers of physical frailty of the elderly people in outpatient geriatric and gerontology care.
METHOD: a cross-sectional study with a sample of 381 elderly subjects. Physical frailty was evaluated by the frailty phenotype and postural instability through the Berg Balance Scale. Univariate analyses consisted in Chi-square tests, and multivariate analyses used the Forward Stepwise method, which resulted in a model of physical frailty associated with postural instability.
RESULTS: among the participants, 56 (14.7%) were frail, 217 (57%) pre-frail, and 68 (28.3%) non-frail. Pre-frailty (p < 0.001), frailty (p = 0.000), and the markers hand grip strength (p = 0.0008), unintentional weight loss (p = 0.0094), level of physical activity (p = 0.0001), fatigue/exhaustion (p = 0.0001), and gait speed (p = 0.0001) were associated with postural instability.
CONCLUSION: the presence of postural instability determines a greater chance of the elderly being frail or pre-frail. This result favors the planning of gerontological nursing care and strengthens the treatment plan under a specific approach.
PMID: 31038639 PMCID: PMC6528635 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.2655-3146
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