Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Artigo Acesso aberto Produção Nacional Revisado por pares

BIBTEX RIS

Prevalence of cognitive and functional impairment in community-dwelling elderly: importance of evaluating activities of daily living

2005; Thieme Medical Publishers (Germany); Volume: 63; Issue: 2a Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s0004-282x2005000200003

1678-4227

Jerson Laks, Elienai Maria Rubim Batista, Elza Rocha Lima Guilherme, Ana Lúcia Barros Contino, Maria Eliete Vieira Faria, Cláudia Soares, Estevão de Paula, Eliasz Engelhardt,

Nutritional Studies and Diet

The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of cognitive/functional impairment in community-dwelling elderly above 60 years of age (n= 870; m=297, f=573) and the relationship of age, gender, and functional impairment with cognitive impairment using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ). Chi-square and Student's tests were used to compare cognitive and functional deficits. Linear regression assessed MMSE/PFAQ relationship. Stratified analysis assessed confounding factors. Logistic regression assessed the relationship among age/gender/functional status with cognitive impairment (p<0.05). Prevalence of cognitive/functional impairment was 19.2%. Functional and cognitive impairment are negatively correlated (Pearson= 0.737), despite educational level (illiterate/literate: OR=15.60; p=0/OR = 16.40; p=0). Age and gender (female) were associated with cognitive/functional impairment. Functional impairment is highly correlated to cognitive impairment. Family/health professionals may recognize functional impairment more easily than cognitive impairment. Thus, the use in combination of cognitive and functional scales is important when screening for dementia.